HANDBOOK   OF 

STEAM    SHOVEL 
WORK 


FIRST   EDITION 
1911 


A  REPORT   BY  THE 
CONSTRUCTION  SERVICE  GO- 
TO THE 
BUCYRUS   COMPANY 

PRICE   $1.50 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Extracts  from  this  publication,  which  is 
copyrighted,  may  be  made  on  condition 
that  its  title,  the  name  of  the  Bucyrus 
Company,  and  page  reference  be  given. 


Copyright  1911 

The  Bucyrus  Company 

Construction  Service  Company 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER  I 

NATURE    OF   THE    PROBLEM 

The  steam  shovel  effected  a  revolution  in  the  cost  of 
loading  earth  and  other  excavated  material  from  the  date 
of  its  introduction,  and  it  is  to-day  the  standard  machine 
for  handling  economically  such  materials  in  large  quanti- 
ties. It  is  a  highly  specialized  machine,  requiring  many 
accessories  in  the  way  of  plant  for  the  transportation 
process.  Its  efficiency  depends  upon  the  skill  of  its 
operators,  the  co-operation  of  many  different  men,  and 
the  ability  with  which  the  general  operating  scheme  of 
which  it  is  a  part,  has  been  designed. 

Many  a  steam  shovel  has  been  considered  inefficient 
when  it  had  not  half  a  chance  to  do  its  work,  and  many 
excavating  jobs  could  have  been  handled  advantageously 
with  steam  shovels  instead  of  by  hand  had  the  con- 
tractors known  how  to  bring  them  into  play.4  Up  to 
this  time  no  effort  has  been  made,  within  our  knowledge, 
to  put  into  available  shape  for  ready  reference  the  various 
quantities  and  factors  which  go  to  make  up  the  cost  of 
steam  shovel  work,  so  that  it  may  be  determined  whether 
a  particular  shovel  is  doing  its  full  duty,  and  whereby, 
with  careful  study  of  daily  performance,  a  losing  contract 
may  be  turned  into  a  paying  one.  To  set  before  the 
man  interested  in  steam  shovel  work  the  necessary  data 
to  enable  him  to  work  out  the  economics  of  his  shovel 
work  at  the  least  cost  is  the  problem  that  we  have 
attempted  to  solve  in  this  volume.  There  are  so  many 
factors  entering  into  the  work  that  the  problem  seems 
at  first  highly  complex;  but  systematic  analysis  has. 
resulted  in  so  simplifying  it  that  any  man  of  field  expe- 
rience ought  to  be  able,  with  the  help  of  the  data  contained 
in  these  pages,  to  put  his  shovel  work  on  a  scientific 
basis.  To  determine  what  work  is  costing  day  by  day 
is  half  the  problem ;  to  determine  what  it  ought  to  cost 
is  the  other  half.  238181 


•  ••;•.•.•»••  *     * 

•*•  *•  r  r •"  i  *%  *  '•  •*  *  •  *    «  •*  \     "- 

HANDBOOK    O*F  **S* f  £  A*M     SHOVEL    WORK 


To  establish  these  factors  it  was  necessary  to  observe 
a  large  number  of  shovels  in  operation,  and  an  elaborate 
description  of  the  work  observed  has  been  necessary 
in  order  to  afford  an  adequate  statement  of  the  result. 
These  appear  in  Chapters  V  to  IX  inclusive.  Wherever 
possible,  the  observations  have  been  made  by  our  men. 
On  questions  of  coal  and  oil  consumption  and  the  like 
we  have  had  to  take  the  statements  of  shovel  runners, 
checked  more  or  less  by  our  own  observations,  and  in 
the  items  of  repair  cost,  etc.,  we  have  had  to  rely  on  the 
statements  of  others.  Where  such  statements  have 
seemed  not  to  be  accurate,  we  have  discarded  them. 

PROCESS  OF  LOADING      The  process  of  loading  con- 
sists in  seizing  the  material 

after  it  has  been  reduced  to  a  fit  condition  and  placing 
it  either  in  its  ultimate  position  or  upon  a  vehicle 
for  the  purpose  of  transportation.  With  hand  shovels, 
unless  the  material  be  sand  or  gravel  or  very  soft 
loam,  it  is  essential  that  it  be  broken  in  order  that 
the  workmen  may  be  able  to  handle  it.  W7ith  a  steam 
shovel,  however,  much  of  the  breaking  can  be  done  by 
the  power  of  the  shovel  itself  aided  by  teeth  which  are 
fastened  to  the  dipper,  so  that,  in  many  instances,  rock 
which  has  been  imperfectly  blasted  is  further  reduced 
by  the  crushing  and  tearing  up  of  the  teeth  driven  by  the 
steam  power  of  the  shovel's  mechanism.  The  steam 
shovel  then  is  frequently  called  upon  to  perform  not 
only  its  proper  function  of  loading,  but  to  a  large  extent 
the  other  process  of  breaking  the  material. 

THE     STEAM     SHOVEL    VERSUS     HAND     LOADING 

It  needs  no  argument  to  establish  the  superiority  of 
machine  work  over  hand  labor  wherever  the  amount  of 
work  to  be  done  justifies  the  use  of  the  plant.  It  is  a 
general  rule  that,  if  many  foot  pounds  of  work  have  to 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

be  performed,  the  horse  is  more  economical  than  the 
human  engine,  and  the  steam  engine  far  more  than  the 
horse.  Thus,  loading  into  wagons  by  teams  and  scrapers 
may  be  done  a  little  more  economically  than  by  hand, 
while  the  efficiency  of  a  steam  shovel  above  that  of  a 
horse  team  is  far  more  than  that  of  the  horse  team  above 
that  of  the  man  with  the  hand  tool. 


COST  OF  WORK  BY  HUMAN  POWER  EXPENSIVE  IN 
PROPORTION  TO  THE  UNITS  OF  WORK  TO  BE  DONE 

The  unit  cost  of  loading  by  hand  will  be  nearly  the 
same,  field  conditions  being  equal,  whether  the  job  is  a 
large  one  or  comparatively  small,  the  so-called  prepara- 
tory costs,  which  will  be  referred  to  later,  being  almost 
negligible.  Thus  we  know  that  a  man  can  load  by  hand 
into  an  ordinary  wagon,  at  a  cost  of  from  10  cents  to 
20  cents  per  cubic  yard,  on  the  basis  of  15  cents  an 
hour  for  wages,  the  cost  varying  between  these  limits 
according  to  the  condition  and  weight  of  the  material 
and  the  size  and  kind  of  shovels  and  the  efficiency  of 
the  organization.  This  performance  ought  to  be  feasible 
whether  digging  cellars,  building  a  railroad  embank- 
ment, dam,  or  any  other  general  type  of  work,  small  or 
large. 

GREAT  VARIATION  IN  STEAM  SHOVEL  EFFICIENCY 

In  contrast  to  the  above,  the  steam  shovel  is  depend- 
ent for  its  work  upon  so  many  factors,  any  one  of  which 
may  very  greatly  help  or  hinder  it,  that  there  is  a  far 
greater  diversity  of  results  than  in  the  case  of  the  hand 
work.  Thus,  on  the  standard  basis  for  labor  that  we 
have  assumed  in  this  report,  the  direct  labor  cost  alone 
for  loading  varies  from  ^  cent  to  nearly  13  cents  per 
cubic  yard,  as  observed. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

TRAINED  LABOR  NECESSARY  For  the  most  econom- 
ON  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  ical  operation  it  is 

necessary    not     only 

that  the  shovel  runner  and  craneman  be  skillful  men, 
but  that  they  shall  have  been  accustomed  to  work 
together,  and  that  the  other  men  on  the  work  .who  are 
engaged  in  co-ordinate  processes  be  properly  trained 
to  work  with  the  shovel  crew ;  otherwise  the  work  will 
not  run  smoothly  and  the  cost  will  be  correspondingly 
high.  Bad  co-ordination  on  such  work  will  inevitably 
cost  more  than  correspondingly  bad  co-ordination  in 
hand  work. 

CO-OPERATION  OF  OTHER  PROCESSES  When  a  shov- 
WITH  THE  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  el  is  loading 

rock,  for  in- 
stance, its  own  efficiency  is  very  dependent  upon  the 
manner  and  thoroughness  with  which  the  rock  has  been 
broken.  The  blasting  must  be  of  such  quality  as  to 
break  up  the  rock  so  that  the  shovel  can  easily  handle 
it  without  leaving  ridges  that  prevent  the  laying  of  the 
shovel  track  to  grade.  We  have  had  experience  with 
work  where,  because  the  blasting  charge  was  not  con- 
centrated in  the  bottom  of  the  holes,  the  ridges  were  so 
pronounced  that  the  shovels  were  unable  to  operate  more 
than  50  per  cent  of  the  working  day,  the  rest  of  the  time 
being  spent  in  waiting  while  the  rock  was  "mud  capped." 
Here  inefficiency  of  shovel  work  was  due  entirely  to 
improper  blasting. 

HOW  MUCH  WORK  MUST  THERE  BE  TO  ECONOM- 
ICALLY JUSTIFY  THE  USE  OF  A  STEAM  SHOVEL? 

This  question  is  vital  on  a  large  percentage  of  all 
excavation  contracts.  To  answer  it,  simply  calculate 
the  total  cost,  including  the  cost  of  installing  the  plant, 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

and  divide  this  total  by  the  cubic  yards  of  material  to 
be  handled.  A  comparison  of  the  quotients  for  the 
different  methods  will  indicate  which  one  should  be 
followed.  A  list  of  the  various  items  that  are  usually 
included  in  a  contractor's  cost  is  given  in  Chapter  IV. 


Fig.  i.     95-Ton  Bucyrus  Shovel  Digging  Ore  on  the  Mesabi  Range 
See  page  236 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER  II 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS  AND  FORMULAS 

REPAIRS  The  cost  of  repairs  should  be  apportioned 
to  the  work  turned  out  rather  than  con- 
sidered as  a  function  of  the  age  of  the  shovel.  It  will 
be  higher  for  rock  than  earth  work  and  higher  for 
badly  broken  rock  than  for  well  blasted  material. 
Thus,  in  a  given  material,  the  repair  bill  for  a  season's 
output  of  500,000  cubic  yards  may  be  expected  to  be 
twice  that  in  which  the  shovel  loaded  only  250,000  yards. 
Time  alone  does  not  affect  the  unit  cost  of  repairs. 
The  reverse  of  this  proposition  obtains  in  the  case  of 

DEPRECIATION  If  the  machine  be  kept  in  proper 
repair  the  depreciation  in  its  value 
is  affected  by  time  alone,  regardless  of  the  work  that  it 
is  doing.  Many  concerns  cla'ss  the  depreciation  and 
repairs  under  one  account,  but  this  practice  is  inaccu- 
rate and  misleading.  There  is  great  disagreement 
among  accountants  as  to  how  depreciation  should  -be 
figured,  and  there  are  many  so  called  depreciation 
formulas  and  "curves."  The  simplest  to  use,  and  one 
which  for  steam  shovel  work  is  satisfactory  if  proper 
allowance  be  made  for  repairs,  is  the  "  right  line  for- 
mula," which  is  as  follows: 

(a  —  b)  -j 

X  =  —  ,  where  a  =  original  value, 

a 

b  —  value  on  removal  or  sale, 
c  =  time  in  use, 
d  =  estimated  life, 
X  =  %  of  depreciation. 

Then  X  divided  by  the  output  for  the  period  c  will  be  the 
cost  of  depreciation  per  unit  of  performance. 

The  working  life  of  a  steam  shovel  may  safely  be 
assumed  at  20  years,  and  taking  the  first  cost  at,  say, 

10 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

$150  per  ton,  and  its  scrap  value  at  $10  per  ton,  the 
value  for  X,  with  a  ten-year  old  shovel,  would  be 

($150  — $10)  - 

_  =46.67%  in  the  ten  years,  or  4^$  per 

$15° 
year. 

To  estimate  the  depreciation  per  unit  of  output  it  is 
necessary  to  distribute  this  amount  over  the  working 
time.  The  method  of  doing  this  is  indicated  in  the 
latter  part  of  this  chapter,  under  typical  Standard  Steam 
Shovel  Work. 

INTEREST     The  interest  on  all  the  money  invested  in 
this  work  must  be  included  as  part  of  its 
cost.     We  have  assumed  this  at  the  uniform  rate  of 
6  per  cent. 

HEIGHT  OF  BANK     In    different    classes    of    steam 
shovel  work,  the  height  of   the 

face  to  which  the  shovel  can  work  has  an  important 
bearing  upon  costs.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  the 
higher  the  bank,  the  larger  the  amount  that  the  shovel 
can  load  without  moving  up. 

STANDARD  RATES      It  is  of  no  interest  to  contractor 
Jones  how  much  contractor  Smith 

paid  his  men,  or  for  his  coal  a  year  or  two  ago,  and 
Smith  usually  dislikes  to  have  these  exact  rates  pub- 
lished, on  account  of  possible  trouble  within  his  own 
organization ;  but  it  is  of  importance  to  be  able  to 
compare  the  efficiencies  of  different  methods  in  different 
places,  so  that  any  contractor  using  this  volume  may 
be  able  to  estimate  the  value  of  any  special  methods 
herein  described.  Such  comparison  is  valuable  for 
making  estimates  on  future  work,  and  it  is  greatly 

ii 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

facilitated  by  giving  the  data  observed  in  terms  of  an 
assumed  standard  rate  of  pay  for  each  class  of  men  and 
materials.  We  have  therefore  given  our  cost  data  in 
these  "standard"  figures. 

FORMULAS    AND    DIAGRAMS 
TYPICAL  STANDARD  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

MATHEMATICAL  ANALYSIS  The  following  analysis 
AND  CURVES  OF  COST  of  steam  shovel  work 

and  the  accompanying 

curves  of  cost  are  useful  in  enabling  a  rapid  estimate  to 
be  made  of  the  approximate  cost  of  steam  shovel  work 
in  progress  or  proposed. 

d  =  time  in  minutes  to  load  1  cubic  foot  with  dipper  (place 

measure). 

c  =  capacity  of  one  car  in  cubic  feet  (place  measure), 
f  =  time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car. 
e  =  time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains, 
g  =  time  to  move  shovel. 
L  =  distance  of  one  move  of  shovel. 
N  =  number  of  shovel  moves. 

M  =  minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays. 
A  or  B  =  area  of  shovel  section  excavated  in  square  feet. 

R  =  cost  per  cubic  yard  on  cars  in  cents,  for  shovel  work 

only  (place  measure). 
L  A  N  =  cubic  feet  excavated  per  day. 

C  =  shovel  expense  in  cents,  one  day,  not  including  super- 
intendence and  overhead  charges  and  not  including 
preparatory  charges, 
n  =:  number  of  cars  in  train. 

(1)  Time  to  load  one  car  =  d  c. 

(2)  Time  to  load  one  train  =  ndc  +  nf-|-e. 

(3)  Number  of  trains  for  one  shovel  move  = . 

(4)  Time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 

ning of  next 

(ndc  +  nf  +  e) 1-  g. 


12 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


M 

(5)     N  =  T-          — x  L  A 


/  e  \  L  A 

(dC+f+n)—  +  «• 


This  is  the  equivalent  of  the  equation  R  =  md  4-  b. 
(7)     Where  m  =  ^r£  and 


=  mVT+^+L 

We  have  assumed  for  the  typical  example  a  shovel 

valued  at,  say,  $14,000,  and  the  following  daily  expense  : 

Per  Year 

Depreciation,  4%$ $653.34 

Interest,  6% 840.00 

Repairs,  when  working  one  shift 2000.00 

$3493-34 

Per  year  of  150*  working  days,  or  $23.29  per  working  day,  $23.29 

Shovel  runner          .         .                   .         .          .         .          .  5.00 

Craneman        .........  3.60 

Fireman            .....'...  2.40 

One-half  watchman  at  $50  per  month       .          .         .         .  i.oo 

6  pitmen  at  $1.50     .         .          .         .         .          .         .          .  9.00 

1  team  hauling  coal,  water,  etc.,  half  day,  say,  at  $5          .  2.50 

2  ^  tons  coal,  at  $3.50      .......       8.75 

Oil,  waste,  etc.,  say          .-..-'»'        .         .         .         .        1.50 

$57-04 

It  appears    that   the  equation:   R    =    md    -t-   b,    is 
that   of    a   straight  line.     Now  since  in  this    equation 

m  —  1Z and    b  =  m  ( —  +  —  +  -^-\  all  quantities 

M  V  c       nc       LA/ 

involved  in  the  equation  excepting  d  are,  or  are  as- 
sumed to  be,  constant.  The  data  upon  the  value 
of  these  quantities  furnished  by  the  accompanying 


*For  various  reasons,  such  as  weather,  lack  of  continuous  work,  transpor- 
on  of  plant,  etc.,  we  have  assumed  the  average 
of  150  working  days.  This,  of  course,  will  be  greatly 

13 


tation  of  plant,  etc.,  we  have  assumed  the  average  working  year  as  composed 

tly  affected  by  local  conditions. 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

reports  have  been  presented  in  graphic  form  with  all 
influencing  factors  noted  on  the  five  plates,  A,  B,  C,  D 
and  E,  bearing  the  heading  for  use  with  cost  curves. 
See  pages  20  to  24  inclusive. 

Plate  A  indicates  the  time  to  load  one  cubic  yard, 
place  measure,  in  various  kinds  of  material.  Plate  B 
deals  with  the  quantities  e,  average  time  shovel  is  inter- 
rupted to  change  trains.  For  use  in  plotting  the  equation 
above,  those  average  values  of  e,  n,  c  and  f,  involved  in 
ordinary  contracting  work  where  side  dump  cars  are 
used,  have  been  tabulated  separately  on  plate  C.  It  will 
there  be  seen  that  the  average  value  for  e,  the  time 
between  trains,  is  4  minutes.  The  average  number  of 
cars  per  train,  or  n,  =  10.  The  commonest  form  of 
contractors'  side  dump  car  is  of  4  yards  water  measure, 
or  2.5  yards  place  measure  capacity*,  and  we  therefore 
take  c  =  67.5  cubic  feet.  The  ordinary  value  of  f  is 
zero,  since  the  cars  are  almost  invariably  spotted  while 
the  shovel  is  swinging  and  digging.  Plate  D  deals 
with  the  values  of  M  or  the  working  time,  including 
actual  shovel  time,  waiting  for  trains,  and  moving  up5 
but  not  accidental  delays.  Plate  E  deals  with  the  time 
of  moving  up,  an  average  value  for  which  is  8  minutes. 

The  constants  having  been  thus  established,  three 
sets  of  curves  have  been  plotted  on  the  plates  headed 
cost  curves,  I,  II  and  III,  one  for  each  of  the  three  values 
of  L  A  1500,  3000  and  6000  cubic  feet  (L  being  the 
average  shovel  move,  6',  and  A  the  area  of  the  dug  sec- 
tion in  square  feet).  Each  of  these  sets  of  curves  has 
been  plotted  for  values  of  M,  ranging  from  two  hours 
to  ten  hours  by  hourly  intervals,  between  which  intervals 
our  observed  values  (see  plate  C)  fall. 

We  have  found  it  much  more  convenient  to  make 
use  of  our  data  when  arranged  in  this  manner,  both 
for  field  work  and  for  the  purposes  of  the  estimator, 

*This  is  a  general  average.  It  varies  a  good  deal  with  the  character  of  the 
material  handled. 

14    . 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

than  when  expressed  in  long  tabulations.  Moreover, 
when  cost  data  are  presented  in  the  detailed  form 
contained  in  this  volume  they  are  applicable  to  a  far 
wider  range  of  new  conditions  than  when  simply  given 
in  totals  as  records  of  cost.  Attempts  have  been  made 
to  discredit  cost  data  on  the  ground  that  they  are 
of  no  use  to  anyone  except  him  who  did  the  work  or 
made  the  original  observations,  or  on  the  ground  that 
to  a  reader  who  has  perhaps  never  seen  the  job  at  all 
there  will  be  so  many  unknown  conditions,  that  when 
applying  the  data  to  his  own  work  he  cannot  be  sure 
of  having  conditions  sufficiently  similar  to  make  com- 
parisons safe.  Moreover,  skill  in  management  varies 
greatly  with  different  organizations,  and  a  reader  may 
not  have  the  same  ability  in  organizing  or  handling 
work  as  some  of  the  people  whose  performance  has 
been  herein  described.  This  is  very  true,  and  if  the 
reader  can  do  as  well  as  any  one  of  several  of  the 
managers  whom  we  met  in  getting  up  these  data,  he 
may  be  proud,  as  well  as  wealthy;  but  cost  data  on  any 
work,  if  presented  in  sufficient  detail  and  with  clearness, 
will  be  useful  to  any  man,  good,  bad,  or  indifferent, 
who  will  intelligently  study  them.  If  he  attempt  to 
proceed  with  improper  study  of  the  data  or  of  the  work 
that  he  is  trying  to  do  himself,  he  will  fail  just  as  he 
would  without  the  data,  which  in  all  cases  must  be 
taken  with  intelligent  discrimination. 

In  the  formula  for  steam  shovel  loading  cost  are 
some  ten  quantities  that  vary  on  different  pieces  of 
work.  Some  of  these  are  dependent  on  the  kind  of 
material  and  equipment,  some  depend  on  the  efficiency 
of  the  management  alone,  and  some  few  are  affected 
by  conditions  beyond  control  or  foresight,  such  as 
weather.  The  first  two  can  be  "standardized"  and  the 
other  must  be  estimated  by  us  for  purposes  of  illustra- 
tion and  by  the  reader  for  his  own  use.  Even  in  the 
case  of  weather,  there  is  not  as  much  uncertainty  as 

15 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


would  at  first  appear,  for  over  a  long  working  season 
the  number  of  days  suitable  for  operating  may  be 
pretty  well  estimated  in  most  climates  by  going  over  the 
Weather  Bureau  records  for  the  neighborhood. 

Because  the  meaning  and  general  bearing  of  a  mass 
of  data  can  be  grasped  by  looking  at  charts  much  more 
readily  than  by  any  other  method  known  to  us,  we  have 
used  them  in  this  volume. 

STANDARD  ASSUMPTIONS     These  have  been  made 

to    facilitate    the     chart 

work,  and  because  from  our  experience  they  are  en- 
tirely justified  in  practice.  When,  for  example,  we 
assume  that  the  time  to  move  a  shovel  is  four  minutes, 
though  some  men  take  fifteen,  and  a  few  two  or  three, 
we  are  justified  by  a  vast  number  of  cases  in  which  the 
moving  was  actually  done  in  four  minutes.  If  the 
reader  find  that  his  men  are  taking  eight  or  ten  minutes, 
an  application  of  the  rules  given  in  Chapter  X,  will 
save  him  some  money.  The  assumptions  for  "A" 
depend  upon  the  field  conditions,  and  the  reader  must 
use  the  particular  plate  that  most  nearly  represents  the 
section  area  of  his  job,  or  else  must  make  up  his  own 
chart,  not  a  difficult  or  laborious  operation  in  any  event. 

USES    OF    COST    CURVES 

There  are  two  important  uses  to  which  these  curves 
of  cost  can  conveniently  be  put. 

1 .  Estimating  the  cost  of  proposed  work. 

2.  Checking  up  the  cost  of  work  under  way. 
In  estimating  we  may  proceed  as  follows : 
Assuming  that  the  proposed  work  is  to  be  a  railroad 

cut  in  rock,  with  average  equipment,  there  are  then 
only  three  quantities  to  decide  upon,  namely,  L  A, 
2jd  and  M.  The  area  of  the  shovel  section  being- 
assumed  at  250  square  feet  and  the  average  distance 

16 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

of  move  being  6  feet,  L  A  will  equal  1500  cubic  feet. 
Now  refer  to  plate  A  and  select  a  fair  value  for  the 
time  of  loading  one  cubic  yard  in  rock  work.  Suppose 
30  seconds  be  chosen.  Next  refer  to  plate  D  for  the 
proper  value  of  M  to  use  for  rock  work.  The  average 
value  is  8  hours  (80  per  cent,  of  10  hours).  The  cost 
per  yard  in  cents  can  now  be  read  directly  on  cost 
curves,  plate  i.  With  abscissa  (2yd)  as  30  seconds 
glance  upward  till  the  vertical  line  through  30  seconds 
intersects  the  8  hour,  M  line.  Then  on  the  left 
opposite  this  point  of  intersection  read  9^  cents  as  the 
cost  per  cubic  yard  loaded,  place  measure. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  with  respect  to  the  two 
important  items  of  time  to  load  i  cubic  yard  with 
dipper  and  values  of  M,  the  cost  curves  are  perfectly 
flexible.  Variation  in  the  value  of  the  constants  may 
be  allowed  for  by  proper  choice  of  M.  In  connection 
with  the  formula  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  effect 
of  decreasing  the  carrying  capacity  of  each  train, 
other  conditions  remaining  the  same.  Suppose  the 
carrying  capacity  to  be  decreased  from  the  average,  10 
x  2.5  yards  =  25  cubic  yards  to  8  x  2  yards  =  16  cubic 
yards,  place  measure,  what  would  be  the  effect  upon  the 
cost  per  cubic  yard?  The  new  cost  per  cubic  yard, 
place  measure,  would  be  10.6  cents  against  the  former 
9.5  cents,  an  increase  of  i.i  cent  per  yard,  or  10 
per  cent. 

To  use  the  curves  for  checking  the  cost  of  work  in 
progress  proceed  as  follows :  The  field  operations  are 
few  and  simple.  Find  the  average  time  per  dipper  swing. 
Knowing  the  rated  capacity  of  the  dipper  and  the  charac- 
ter of  the  material,  a  glance  at  the  tabulation  near  the 
top  of  plate  A  will  give  the  ratio  of  dipper  capacity, 
place  measure,  to  dipper  capacity,  water  measure,  and  by 
using  this  factor  the  average  capacity  of  dipper,  place 
measure,  can  be  obtained,  and  thence  the  time  to  load 
i  cubic  foot  or  yard.  Suppose  for  instance  the  average 

17 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

time  per  swing  to  be  25  seconds,  material  earth,  and 
capacity  of  dipper  2*^  yards.  On  plate  A,  under 

place   measure 

heading    "Ratio  ot we   rind   tor   earth 

water  measure 

place  measure 

the  average  value    tor  -  -   given    as    O.ZT.. 

water  measure 

Therefore  2^  x  0.53  —  1.2  yards  per  swing  or  2.88  yards 
per  minute,  or  .35  minute  per  cubic  yard.  Make  some 
rough  measurements  to  determine  the  approximate  area 
of  the  shovel  section  and  multiply  this  area  by  the 
length  of  move  up  and  get  L  A,  say  3000.  Then,  from 
previous  observations  or  by  an  estimate  of  M,  get  the 
time  worked  per  day,  less  accidental  delays,  say  9  hours. 
Now  take  cost  curves,  page  26,  and  with  .21  as  abscissa 
read  opposite  the  line  for  M  =  9  hours,  6  cents  as  the 
cost  per  yard  place  measure.  If  the  constants  in  the 
formula  do  not  agree  closely  enough  with  actual  con- 
ditions, allow  for  this  by  choosing  a  suitable  value  of  M. 
or  substitute  directly  in  the  equation  for  cost. 

Note  that  the  above  costs  do  not  include  superintend- 
ence or  overhead  charges,  and  cover  only  the  cost  of 
loading.  Transportation,  dumping,  spreading  and 
preparatory  costs  are  not  included. 

These  plotted  charts  have  been  given  to  assist  the 
man  who  is  accustomed  to  charts  to  use  the  observed 
data  contained  in  this  volume.  By  their  use  it  is  much 
easier  to  pick  out  the  conditions  that  fit  any  particular 
piece  of  work,  or  a  particular  example  to  fit  the  condi- 
tions of  the  work  to  be  done,  and  thus  make  the  data 
available  with  less  time  than  would  be  necessary  if  all 
the  figures  were  given  in  tables. 

It  should  be  particularly  noted  that  for  plotting  the 
two  co-ordinates  certain  assumptions  are  necessary 
because  there  are  a  large  number  of  variables  in  the 
theoretical  steam  shovel  formula.  Thus,  we  have  made 
three  plates — one  where  the  expression  LA  is  1500 

18 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

cubic  feet,  one  where  it  is  3000,  and  one  where  it  is 
6000.  We  have  also  made  an  assumption  of  $57.04 
for  the  value  of  C.  Where  the  shovel  differs  very 
much  in  type  from  the  one  mentioned  or  where  the 
rates  of  labor  are  very  different  from  those  assumed,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  compensate  for  the  difference 
between  the  new  value  of  C  and  the  one  that  we 
have  used  iruj:he  diagrams.  The  easiest  way  to 
do  this  is  to  multiply  the  figures  taken  from  the 
diagrams  by  the  ratio  between  the  new  value  of  C 
and  the  assumed  one.  Thus,  if  the  shovel  costs  per 
day  turned  out  to  be  $65  instead  of  $57.04,  and  the  dia- 
gram should  give  a  cost  per  cubic  yard  for  loading  of  1 2 
cents,  we  would  have  for  our  charge  1 2  cents  multiplied 
by  $65  and  divided  by  $57.04,  or  13.67  cents  per 
yard.  As  heretofore  indicated,  this  does  not  include 
the  cost  of  overhead  charges,  superintendence,  and 
preparatory  charges,  which  in  all  cases  must  be  added 
for  purposes  of  estimating.  It  will  be  well  worth  while 
for  the  man  who  contemplates  doing  shovel  work  to 
give  these  diagrams  and  the  formulas  most  careful 
study,  and  to  make  up  for  his  own  work,  substituting 
in  the  formula  the  constants  that  he  expects  to  obtain, 
diagrams  that  will  be  exactly  suited  to  his  particular 
case. 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


r 

Z 
§ 

? 


FOR  USE  WITH  COST  CURVES        PLATE  "A" 

VALUES  OF  270  SHOWN  GRAPHICALLY  BY  BROKEN   LINES  BELOW. 
FOR  VARIOUS   RATIOS  OF     PM    )  IN  DIFFERENT  KINDS  OF   MATERIAL 


VALUES-O-F  270 

IN  SECONDS 
MIN.      AVG.       MAX. 
"(RON  6.1       10.5        15.4 

SAND  5.9  12.1  19.8 
-CLAY  10.0  18.3  29.0 
_EARTH  10.8  18.4  28.6 


DIPPER  CAPACITY 

W.M.   IN  YDS. 
WIN.       AVG.        MAX. 
2.25        2.47        2.5 
1.22        2.01         2.8 
2.00        2.41          3.0 
2.00       2..58         3.0 


DIPPER  CAPACITY__ 
P.M.    IN  YDS. 


iro 


MIN. 
1.75 
1.25 
1.16 
1.02 


AVG. 
2.33 
1.25 
1.51 
1.26 


MAX. 
2.67 
1.25 


ROCK        12.8      30.7       68.0  2.17        2.34        3.44 


- RAT|_  QF    PLACE  MEASURE  ( PM) 
_  OF  WAJER  MEASURE   (WM-)- 

__  MIN.        AVG.        MAX.. 

0.94 

0.56 


.26      1.01        l.i 


NOTE-VALUES  OF  27D  ARE  GIVEN  IN  SECONDS  AND  MUST  BE 
REDUCED  TO  MINUTES  FOR  USE  WITH  CURVES  OF  COST. 


20 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


FOR  USE  WITH  COST  CURVES        PLATE  "B'J 

VALUES  OF  "e;J  SHOWN  GRAPHICALLY 
AVERAGE  TIME  TO  CHANGE  TRAINS 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


FOR  USE  WITH  COST  CURVES      PLATE  "C" 

Values  of  e,  n,  c,f,  involved  in  ordinary  contracting  work 
with  side  dump  cars. 

e    —  Average  time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains. 
ii  =  Number  of  cars  per  train. 

c    =  Capacity  of  cars  in  cubic  feet  (place  measure). 
f   =  Time  to  spot  one  car. 
c'  —  Capacity  of  cars  in  cubic  feet  (water  measure). 


Values  of  n 

Values  of  c 

/ 

C' 

Min. 

Avg. 

Max. 

Min. 

Avg. 

Max. 

Brick  yard  clay    . 

I 

1-2 

2 

S4 

72 

8l 

R.  R.  borrow  pits 

7 

II 

'5 

83-7 

126 

270 

J5! 

Rock  cuts   .     .     . 

7 

9 

12 

54 

75 

97.2 

1  88 

Crushed  stone 

quarries     .     . 

i 

10 

10 

1  08 

124 

189 

o 

162 

Earth  and  glacial 

N 

drift     .... 

10 

10-11 

13 

70 

1  08 

I4I 

157 

Iron  ore       .     .     . 

3 

7 

12 

270 

540 

675 

540 

Sand   and   gravel 

pit  .     . 

i 

7 

15 

67-5    598 

891 

•    • 

General  average  of  <?,  n,  <:,_/,  c',  as  follows 


No.  of  Obs. 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

e 

35 

.25  min. 

4.00  min. 

13.5     min. 

n 

35 

5  .  o    cars 

10.00  cars 

15.0    cars 

f 

o 

0 

o 

0 

c 

35 

2         yards 

4.00  yards 

i  o  .  oo  yards 

c' 

27 

4         yards 

5.00  yards 

12.00  yards 

c/c' 

27 

0-5 

o  8 

0-95 

HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM. SHOVEL    WORK 


FOR  USE  WITH  COST  CURVES       PLATE  "  D" 

AMOUNT  OF  IDLE  TIME  SHOWN  GRAPHICALLY  IN  PER  CENT 

OF  TOTAL  TIME  WORKED  EACH  DAY 
VALUES  OF    "M"  TO  BE  TAKEN  FROM  THIS  TABLE 

I'M"  =  ACTUAL  WORKING  TIME  OF  SHOVEL 

TO  FIND  "M"  TAKE  VALUE  PLOTTED  BELOW,  SUBTRACT  FROM 
100$  AND  MULTIPLY  RESULT  BY  TOTAL  WORKING  TIME  PER  DAV. 
(GENERALLY  10  HOURS) 


_MIN. 
BRICK  YARDS  89.25 

SAND  &  GRAVEL  81.5 

"IRON  ORE  80.0 

STRIPPING  79.5 

_R.R.  BORROW  PITS  59.75 
C.8TONE  Q.  72.25 

ROCK  CUTS  44.0 


REPORT  NUMBERS 


Report   No.  15  Worked  in  Slag 
Report  No.  43  Rock  Cut  on  Soo  Canal  Widening 


23 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


FOR    USE   WITH  COST  CURVES       PLATE  "E" 

VALUES  OF  "6"'   SHOWN  GRAPHICALLY  AS  TAKEN   FROM 

THE  VARIOUS  REPORTS 
0=TIME  TO   MOVE  SHOVEL  UP 
TIME  MUST  BE  READ  IN  MINUTES 


X5U 
19 
18 
17 

Sl5 

u!4 

iia 

/      !     I'M 

J     I14 

/ 

oil 

^*"  ~  1  1« 

Z2_                   In 

rf' 

IE  IN  MINUTES  T( 

Or  OS  ~I  OO  CO 

-^t 

Qe 

Avi 

T£± 

—  ^^^ 

$:±..:::;:;=;:::.q  8 

I 

3  5 

£      , 

3 
2 
1 

^n 

ipliii 

"3 

•NOrH 

»»^ 

SOO-HrHOOrHI>C-    5>  f  t^-^  -fl  o  5»  M  •«•  -H  O  "O  •*  >9  •* 

r-lrflinirTiillfllllili 


i  n  niirm  ri'TTiTi  rn' 


-y 

REPORT   NUMBERS 


NOTE—  Shovel  on  Report  No.  9,  Engaged  in  Sewer  Excavation,  Averaged  33' 
45"  to  Move  Up.     It  was  Moved  on  Wooden  Rolls 


24 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


COST    CURVES 


WHERE  LA  =  1500  CU.FT.   EXCAVATION   TO  EACH  SHOVEL  MOVE 


0  10  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90  100 

TIME  TO  LOAD  1   CU.YD.,  PLACE  MEASURE  WITH  DIPPER  WORKING  FREELY  IN  SECONDS 


FORMULA 


M 


M 


LA; 


Assume  -4 


f  f    i=  o,  interruption  of  shovel  while  spotting  cars. 
j  e  =  4  minutes  of  time  between  trains. 

n   =  10,  number  of  cars  per  train. 

c   =.  2.5  yards  place  measure  =  67.5  cubic  feet. 

C  =  5704  cents,  daily  cost. 

M  =  Actual  working  time  of  shovel. 

g  =8  minutes,  see  Plate  D. 

d   =  Minutes  to  load  i  cubic  foot,  place  measure. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


COST    CURVES 

DAILY    COST   "C"   AS    FOLLOWS 

Plant  depreciation  on  shovel  valued  at  $14,000,  say,  473 
per  cent        ........ 

Interest,  6  per  cent . 

Repairs . 


$653-34 

840.00 

2000.00 


13493-34 


WHERE  LA  =  3000  CU.FT.   EXCAVATION  TO  EACH  SHOVEL  MOVE 


0  10  20  30  40  50  60  TO  30  90          100 

TIME  TO  LOAD  1   CU.YD.,  PLACE  MEASURE  WITH  DIPPER  WORKING  FREELY,   IN  SECONDS 


#3493-34  -T-  1 5°  daYs  equals 

Shovel  runner 

Craneman 

Fireman    .... 

Yz  watchman    . 

6  pitmen,  at  $1.50     . 

Teaming  one-half  day 

2^  tons  coal    . 

Oil,  waste,  etc. 


Per  Day 
$23.29 
5.00 
3.60 
2.40 
I.OO 

9.00 

2.50 

8.75 
1.50 


$57.04 


26 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


COST    CURVES 


WHERE  LA  =  6000  CU.FT.  EXCAVATION  TO  EACH  SHOVEL  MOVE 


0  10  20  30  40  50  60  70 

TIME  TO  LOAD   1    CD. YD.,  PLACE  MEASURE  WITH  DIPPER  WORKING  FREELY, 


100 

SECONDS 


Values  of  f 
Values  of  e 
Values  of  n 
Values  of  c 
Values  of  C 
Values  of  M 
Values  of 
Values 


Same  as  used  on  Plates  T  and  2' 


o    g 
of  d 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER    III 

FIELD    CONDITIONS 

EQUIPMENT  To  do  work  economically  in  the  field, 
it  is  an  axiom  that  the  equipment  must 
be  proper  in  condition  and  suitable  in  design.  It 
need  not  necessarily  be  of  the  very  latest  model,  with 
all  the  new  improvements,  for  it  sometimes  happens  that 
the  high  cost  of  new  equipment  may  render  its  purchase 
inexpedient.  But,  and  this  point  must  receive  emphasis, 
the  equipment  must  be  of  the  right  kind  and  in  the  right 
condition.  Sand  is  dug  with  a  large  dipper  and  a  sand 
lip,  and  rock  with  a  smaller  dipper  and  the  best  of  teeth. 
We  had  occasion  to  reorganize  a  job  on  which  were 
working  a  Bucyrus  Shovel  of  a  certain  size  and  one  of 
another  make  that  weighed  a  good  many  tons  more  than 
the  Bucyrus.  The  work  was  in  rock,  badly  blasted,  and 
taxed  both  shovels  to  the  utmost.  It  happened  that 
because  of  greater  power  in  the  lifting  and  crowding 
motions  the  Bucyrus,  which  was  by  far  the  lighter  shovel, 
was  able  to  do  more  efficient  work  in  the  rock,  while 
there  was  no  appreciable  difference  in  performance  in 
clay  and  loam,  for  which  materials  the  other  shovel  was 
amply  strong.  It  was  entirely  capable  of  carrying  a 
dipperful  of  rock  to  the  car,  but  it  often  stopped  when 
attempting  to  break  rock  with  the  teeth.  Experience 
with  another  shovel  in  narrow  trenches,  demonstrated 
that  it  was  effecting  no  saving  over  hand  labor.  For 
digging  cellars,  or  trenches  of  twice  the  width  of  those 
that  it  had  to  excavate,  or  for  clay  material  free  from 
boulders,  it  would  have  been  highly  economical. 

For  each  piece  of  work  there  is  economically  one 
best  type  (not  necessarily  one  best  manufacturer)  of 
equipment,  and  to  handle  the  job  cheaply  it  is  necessary 
to  have  that  type. 

28 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

SUPERINTENDENCE  The  quality  and  amount  of  the 
superintendence  will  greatly 

affect  the  unit  costs  on  the  work ;  and  by  superintend- 
ence we  mean  not  only  the  man  in  charge,  but  his 
whole  directing  organization.  The  work  in  the  iron 
ore  country  is  an  example  of  what  may  be  accomplished 
in  the  way  of  skilled  organization.  It  is  with  increasing 
force  coming  to  the  attention  of  managers  that  superin- 
tendence is  a  many  sided  art,  requiring  study  as  well  as 
experience,  and  trained  helpers  in  addition  to  a  time- 
keeper. Special  appliances,  such  as  a  stop-watch,  record 
blanks  and  tally  machines,  are  also  necessary  for  the 
best  of  control  over  the  daily  conditions.  Cost  keeping 
on  the  job  must  be  applied  immediately  after  perfor- 
mance, or  else  it  is  too  late  to  take  advantage  of  the 
lessons  of  cost  and  to  economize  the  work. 

Pure  observation  alone  without  actual  timing,  will 
not  show  a  superintendent  whether  it  is  more  economical 
for  him  to  use  nine-car  or  ten-car  trains  to  haul  material 
away  from  his  shovel.  Logic  alone  will  tell  him  whether 
the  shorter  or  the  longer  train  is  the  better  to  use. 
He  will  generally  favor  the  use  of  long  ones  if  his  engines 
will  haul  them.  Yet  money  has  been  saved  by  shortening 
trains  even  when  the  engines  could  easily  haul  the  longer 
ones.  In  this  case  the  key  to  the  situation  was  the  time 
required  to  dump  and  transport. 

So  many  conditions  of  management  enter  into  effi- 
cient steam  shovel  work,  that  it  is  most  sensitive  to 
variations  in  the  superintending  organization. 


GENERAL    ARRANGEMENT      This    feature    always 

receives  great  attention 

from  skillful  managers.  The  "  old  line "  contractor 
comes  upon  the  job  and  looks  it  over  from  the  seat  of 
his  buggy,  deciding  on  the  ground  where  he  will  begin 
operations  and  how  he  will  remove  the  material  from  the 

29 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM      SHOVEL    WORK 

shovels.  The  modern  manager  undertakes  it  much  in 
the  manner  of  a  German  professor  attacking  a  mathe- 
matical proposition.  Sometimes  there  is  only  one  place 
to  "  cut  in  "  and  only  one  way  to  handle  the  earth  or 
rock;  but  generally  there  are  several  places  to  cut  in  and 
many,  many  ways  available  for  handling  the  material.  If 
there  were  only  three  ways,  and  there  are  seldom  less 
than  twenty-three,  he  is  a  bold  man  who  would  decide 
off  hand  which  is  unquestionably  the  best  of  the  three, 
until  an  economic  study  has  conclusively  established 
the  facts.  To  do  this  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
methods  in  use  in  other  places  and  often  in  other  lines 
of  work.  It  happened  that  the  subaqueous  drill  operators 
developed  the  fact  that  pumping  a  jet  of  water  under 
high  pressure  into  a  drill  hole  would  greatly  decrease 
the  cost  of  drilling  rock ;  and  they  were  led  to  try  the 
plan  because  water  was  just  over  the  side  and  good 
force  pumps  were  on  board  the  drill  boats.  This 
device  in  the  subaqueous  field  has  saved  large  amounts 
of  money  when  applied  to  drilling  on  land.j 

LOST  TIME  Steam  shovel  operation  is  rarely  a  contin- 
uous performance,  so  far  as  concerns  the 
shovel  itself.  There  are  always  delays,  some  of  which 
are  due  to  breakages  on  the  shovel  itself  and  some  to 
interruptions  of  one  of  the  collateral  processes,  breaking 
or  transportation.  The  most  costly  of  these,  in  our 
experience,  has  been  where  the  shovel  was  loading 
blasted  rock,  and  because  of  imperfect  breaking  the 
shovel  had  to  stop  from  time  to  time  to  allow  drilling 
and  blasting  under  the  dipper.  In  one  case  the  inter- 
ruptions from  this  cause  amounted  to  nearly  50  per 
cent,  which  in  an  eight-hour  day  allowed  the  shovel 
only  four  hours  for  actual  work.  Under  such  conditions 
the  transportation  facilities  must  be  adequate  to  keep  the 
shovel  working  full  time,  so  that  delays  to  the  shovel 
increase  the  cost  of  transportation  correspondingly. 

30 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

Accidents  to  the  transportation  department,  due  to 
bad  condition  of  the  equipment,  rolling  stock,  or  track, 
cost  just  as  much  as  delays  of  the  same  duration  caused 
by  shovel  break-downs.  Reserve  equipment  will  often 
save  money  in  such  a  situation,  but  the  best  safeguard 
is  to  give  to  one  man  the  facilities  and  responsibility  for 
seeing  that  all  equipment  be  kept  in  first  class  repair. 
It  is  customary  for  shovel  crews  to  make  their  repairs 
to  the  shovel  out  of  working  hours  and  on  Sundays 
whenever  possible.  On  heavy  rock  work,  where  many 
repairs  are  needed,  the  crews  often  have  to  work  nearly 
every  Sunday  for  an  entire  season,  and  the  consequent 
lack  of  rest  and  recreation  is  likely  to  tell  on  the  men's 
working  efficiency. 

Stopping  to  "  chain  out "  boulders  on  heavy  rock 
work  in  shale  or  the  schist  of  Manhattan  Island  is  likely 
to  account  for  a  lost  time  bill  of  20  per  cent  or  more, 
and  presents  a  most  aggravating  and  discouraging 
obstacle  to  good  work.  In  such  cases  several  extra 
chains  should  be  provided,  and  two  or  three  men  con- 
stantly employed  in  putting  them  on  the  boulders  as 
fast  as  possible  while  the  shovel  is  working.  Even  if 
these  men  are  often  idle  for  several  minutes  at  a  time,  the 
result,  in  shovel  output,  of  their  services  is  worth  more 
than  their  pay.  After  estimating  how  many  cents  each 
dipper  swing  is  worth  in  pay  yardage,  it  is  a  simple 
matter  to  calculate  how  much  should  be  spent  in  keeping 
the  dipper  working.  Mud-capping  the  boulders,  to  save 
"chaining  out,"  is  desirable  if  it  can  be  done  without 
too  much  delay.  Usually  it  will  be  found  cheaper  in  the 
end  to  keep  a  man  or  two  drilling  block  holes,  especially 
if  the  facilities  permit  the  use  of  a  small  power  drill. 
When  thus  drilled  the  boulders  can  be  cracked  with 
small  charges  and  with  almost  no  interruption  to  the 
shovel  work.  With  the  small  drill  (like  a  riveting  gun) 
the  holes  may  be  put  in  on  the  side  of  the  boulder  away 
from  the  shovel,  if  that  side  can  be  reached,  drilling  about 

31 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

6  to  10  inches  deep,  tamping  with  blue  clay  forced  in 
with  the  thumbs  and  fired  with  a  fuse.  Very  small 
charges  of  a  rather  high  powder  (50  or  60  per  cent) 
should  be  used. 

A  list  of  the  various  causes  of  delay  should  be  kept 
by  the  shovel  runner,  and  reported  daily,  with  the  dura- 
tion of  each,  so  that  the  relative  importance  of  the 
different  causes  may  be  known,  and  a  standard  remedy 
adopted.  Whenever  such  a  remedy  is  needed,  the  shovel 
runner  can  call  for  it  by  a  whistle  signal.  The  following 
is  a  convenient  code  for  these  signals,  a  long  toot  being 
indicated  by  a  dash,  a  short  one  by  a  dot : 

Pit  crew  get  ready  to  move  shovel. 

Get  ready  to  mud  cap. 

Get  ready  to  block  hole. 

We  need  coal. 

We  need  water. 

Waiting  for  cars  (useful  to  help  in  spotting  cars 
when  dinkey  man  cannot  see  hand  signals). 

Stop. 
-  All  ready  to  blast. 

Fire. 
Cars  off  the  track. 

Back  up. 
---    Shovel  has  broken  down. 

Superintendent's  call. 

A  code  of  these  signals  in  the  shovel  cab,  and  one 
in  the  hands  of  each  foreman,  will  be  sure  to  save 
money  by  the  elimination  of  the  preventable  delays. 

KIND  OF  LABOR     Running  a  shovel  is  a  highly  trained 
and  a  highly  paid   specialty,  and 

as  a  general  thing  shovel  runners  are  intelligent  and 
conscientious,  but  a  good  deal  depends  on  the  way  in 
which  a  runner  and  his  craneman  work  together.  If  they 
should  be  of  incompatible  dispositions  it  is  often  better 
to  move  one  of  them  to  some  other  shovel  than  to  have 

32 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

them  work  badly  together.  They  must  have  considerable 
confidence  in  each  other  in  order  for  the  attainment  of 
the  highest  efficiency. 

We  cannot  too  strongly  emphasize  the  importance  of 
selecting  the  most  skillful  shovel  runners  and  cranemen. 
The  loss  of  money  caused  by  indifferent  ability  in  these 
positions  may  easily  be  several  times  as  much  as  the 
wages  of  the  men  themselves. 

We  have  elsewhere  shown  the  economic  effect  of 
efficiency  in  moving  the  shovel.  For  this  reason  the 
pit  crew  should  be  made  up  of  picked  men,  one  of 
them  getting  a  little  more  pay  than  the  others  perhaps 
and  having  authority  over  them.  Thorough  organization 
here  may  be  worth  half  of  the  wages  of  the  pit  crew. 
Of  great  importance  in  many  classes  of  work  is  the 
dump  gang,  which  usually  receives  but  scant  attention. 
In  sandy  material  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  dump- 
ing the  cars  with  great  regularity  and  returning  them 
to  the  shovel  on  time,  but  with  clay  mixed  with  boulders 
a  good  dump  foreman  and  a  lively  gang  are  necessary 
for  good  work.  The  men  must  realize  that  they  are  part 
of  a  large  machine  and  that  their  own  delays  will  impede 
their  fellow  workmen.  For  this  reason  it  is  often  well  to 
alternate  the  foreman  and  some  of  the  men  between  the 
different  positions.  A  foreman  on  the  dump  will  better 
realize  what  is  expected  of  him  after  he  has  had  expe- 
rience in  the  pit  and  on  the  track  laying.  Some  of  the 
more  intelligent  men  will  also  be  benefited  in  like 
manner,  while  others  of  less  intelligence  will  not. 

KIND  AND  CONDITION  OF  MATERIAL      The   kind 

of  material 

greatly  affects  the  shovel  output,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  reports  which  follow.  Rock  work  will  generally 
cost  much  more  to  load  than  earth,  and  rock  that  is 
badly  broken  may  cost  three  times  as  much  to  load  as 
properly  blasted  rock.  In  this  case,  its  condition, 

33 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


which  affects  the  cost,  may  be  due  to  the  degree  of 
skill  used  in  the  preceding  process.  Clay  will  vary 
much  in  consistency  and  in  the  ease  with  which  it  can 
be  handled.  The  higher  the  face  to  which  the  shovel 
can  work,  the  greater  the  efficiency,  as  indicated  else- 
where, if  other  conditions  be  equal.  The  safe  height 
of  bank,  however,  is  limited  by  the  condition  of  the 
material,  heavy  slides  being  dangerous.  Some  banks 
are  too  high  to  be  economically  workable  on  account 
of  slides. 


Fig.  2.     Shovel  No.  1108  Cutting-in  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  Cut-off.    See  page  255 


34 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER    IV 

ESTIMATING 

For  purposes  of  estimating,  in  order  not  to  forget 
anything  and  to  facilitate  a  logical  arrangement  of  the 
various  costs  that  occur  on  the  work,  it  is  important  to 
have  some  standard  classification  of  expenses.  The 
ordinary  costs  are  included  in  the  following  list,  which 
is  used  by  the  Construction  Service  Company  as  a 
standard  guide,  and  which  will  be  found  useful  as 
a  guide  to  properly  subdivide  the  cost  keeping  in  the 
field,  and  as  an  aid  to  the  bookkeeper.  By  using  the 
symbols  opposite  each  name  they  can  be  readily  and 
easily  referred  to.  We  have  found  that  the  mnemonic 
method  is  much  easier  to  remember  and  more  satisfactory 
in  operation  than  a  numerical  system.  It  has  been  in 
use  for  some  time  and  it  is  proving  very  satisfactory. 

STANDARD  CLASSIFICATION  OF  EXPENSES 


Classification  I.     Main  Classification  of  Expenses. 
O     Office 
X     Misce 
F     Field 


5     SffiCen  [-Overhead. 

X     Miscellaneous     r 


TT     o   u  t  Direct. 

U     Sub-contract    ) 

Classification  II.     Distribution  of  Classification  I. 
L     Labor  directly  productive. 
Lh  Hourly  labor. 
Lw  Weekly  labor. 
Lm  Monthly  labor. 
Li    Incidental  labor. 
F     Labor  superintending. 
M    Material. 
S     Supplies. 
X     Miscellaneous. 

Classification  III.     Distribution  of  Classification  II. 
R     Repairs  ] 

D    Depreciation  f  Maintenance. 


I      Interest 
S      Storage 


35 


Incidental. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


H  Hire  or  rent 

T  Transportation 

O  Organization  or  preparatory 

X  Miscellaneous 

C  Charity  or  accidents 

B  Bonus  or  discounts 

Z  Legal  and  medical 

P  Publicity  or  advertising 

A  Accident  insurance 

F  Fire  insurance 

Q  Theft  insurance 

G  Bond  to  guarantee  contract    j 

Classification  IV.     Application  of  Classifications  II  and  III. 

E  Equipment  or  plant. 

T  Tools. 

B  Buildings. 

C  Cash  capital. 

X  Miscellaneous. 


Classification  V.     Field  Processes. 

B  Breaking  (loosening). 

C  Construction. 

D  Dumping. 

G  Grubbing. 

L  Loading. 

M  Mixing. 

P  Protection. 

R  Ramming  and  rolling. 

S  Spreading. 

T  Transportation. 

X  Miscellaneous. 

Classification  VI.     Type  of  Work. 

C  Concrete  masonry  . 

E  Earth. 

L  Liquids. 

M  Brick  and  mortar. 

R  Rock. 

W  Woodwork. 

We  also  give  in  this  chapter  some  charts  made  up 
from  our  observations,  which  will  be  useful  in  helping 
to  estimate  the  costs  on  steam  shovel  work.  Rates  of 
wages  must  be  ascertained  for  the  particular  locality  in 
which  the  work  is  to  be  done,  and  with  reference  to  the 

36 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

condition  of  the  labor  market.  It  may  be  noted  that 
certain  report  numbers  are  quoted  in  those  charts,  the 
corresponding  reports  not  being  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  In  such  cases  the  information  is  on  file,  but  is 
not  published  in  detail,  owing  to  objection  on  the  part 
of  the  company  or  individual  operating  the  shovels. 


SHOWING  COST  IN  CENTS    PER  CU.  YD 
OF  MATERIAL  HANDLED,  PLACE  MEASURE 

DIRECT  SHOVEL  LABOR  ALONE  BEING  CONSIDERED 


TABLE  OF  RATES  OF  WAGES.     DIRECT  LABOR 
BUCYRUS  SHOVELS 


Occupation 

No.  Obs. 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Runner 
Craneman 
Fireman 
Coalman 
Pitman 

41 

\ 

39 

$75.00  per  mo. 
55.00  per  mo. 
50.00  per  mo. 
i.  40  per  day 
1.40  per  day 

$135.00  per  mo. 
96.00  per  mo. 
62.00  per  mo. 
1.47  per  day 
i.  90  per  day 

$175.00  per  mo. 
125.00  per  mo. 
87.00  per  mo. 
i.  50  per  day 
3.  50  per  day 

37 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


REPORT    NUMBERS 
Diagrams  of  Time  in  Seconds  for  Complete  Dipper  Swing 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


DIAGRAMS  SHOWING   IDLE  TIME  OF  SHOVELS 


DUE  TO  WAITING  FOR  CARS  IN  PER 
CENT  TOTAL  WORKING  TIME 


tWORK  IN  SLAG. 

*ROCK  CUT  FOR  CANAL  WIDENING. 


REPORT  NUMBERS 


39 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


DIAGRAMS  SHOWING  ACTUAL  SHOVEL  WORKING  TIME 
IN   PER  CENT  OF  TOTAL  TIME 


REPORT  NUMBERS 


Material 
Sand  and  Gravel 
Earth  and  Drift 
Clay 
Iron  Ore 
Rock 


Min. 

18.2 
26.5 

2D.O 
28.4 
20.4 


Avg. 

40.5 
46.0 
45.16 
47  59 
46.3 


No. 

Max.  Obs. 

67.6  5 

67.8  5 

63.4  10 

69  3  10 

73-3  25 


40 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER  V 

STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  SAND  AND  GRAVEL 

Most  of  this  work  is  likely  to  be  in  a  borrow  pit, 
where  a  large  area  is  to  be  excavated,  and  where  the 
installation  is  of  a  semi-permanent  nature.  Many  of 
the  banks  are  very  high,  requiring  few  moves  of  the 
shovel,  and  in  some  cases,  especially  where  there  is 
some  cementing  material  mixed  with  the  sand  or  gravel, 
or  when  the  cementing  is  done  by  ice  in  the  spring  or 
fall  of  the  year,  heavy  and  dangerous  land  slides  are 
possible. 

From  an  operating  standpoint  sand  is  an  ideal  ma- 
terial to  handle,  except  when  very  fine  and  in  heavy 
winds,  in  which  cases  a  high  pressure  stream  of  water 
from  a  hose  with  spray  attachment,  if  water  be  plenti- 
ful, will  greatly  help  to  keep  the  sand  out  of  the  eyes 
of  the  men.  Sand  in  a  freshly  dug  bank  is  quite  often 
naturally  moist  In  railroad  work  a  good  deal  of  this 
material  is  loaded  on  flat  cars  with  or  without  side- 
boards, and  it  is  often  difficult  to  make  close  estimates 
of  the  amounts  handled.  We  have  found  it  an  excellent 
method  to  weigh  the  amount  of  material  that  will  fill  a 
half  cubic  yard  box,  at  average  dryness,  and  then  weigh 
several  trains  of  cars  of  the  material,  which  can  easily 
and  conveniently  be  done.  From  records  obtained  in 
1898,  average  gravel  used  for  railroad  ballast,  fair 
quality,  moderately  clean,  weighed  3248  pounds  per 
yard,  father  dry,  and  the-  average  flat  car  without  side- 
boards contained  9.4  cubic  yards.  The  length  in  a 
train  of  such  average  cars  was  36  feet  center  to  center 
of  couplers,  so  that  when  dumped  from  the  train  the 
ballast  averaged  0.26  cubic  yard  per  foot  of  track. 
This  was  sufficient  to  raise  one  track  5  inches. 

Free  running  dry  sand  will  not  stand  up  so  high  in 
the  bucket  or  on  the  cars  as  when  it  is  quite  wet  or 

41 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

contains  some  little  cementing  material.  Therefore, 
the  best  performance  can  be  looked  for  where  there 
is  a  little  cement  or  water  evenly  distributed  in  the 
bank. 


REPORT    No.  1   —   SHOVEL    No.  612 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER  n,  1909 
DUNE  PARK,  IND. 

GENERAL    CONDITIONS     The     Knickerbocker     Ice 

Company  have  this  shovel 

working  on  some  100  odd  acres  of  sand  land  at  Dune 
Park,  Ind.  A  large  part  of  this  tract  has  been  leveled 
already.  No  washing  of  the  material  is  needed,  for  it 
is  all  of  uniform  size  and  exceptionally  clean,  sharp, 
white  and  rather  small  grained.  The  bank  against 
which  the  shovel  worked  was  fully  60  to  70  feet  high 
and  sloped  at  about  one  on  two. 

The  material  was  loaded  upon  gondola  cars  supplied 
and  spotted  by  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern 
Railway. 

TYPE  OF  SHOVEL     The  shovel  is  of  the  usual  7o-ton 
type  with  all  steel  dipper  handle 

and  boom,  the  latter  being  of  the  truss  type  braced  on  the 
sides.  A  2^ -yard  dipper  is  used.  This,  instead 
of  teeth,  has  a  long  steel  lip  or  "  cutter  blade,"  so  that 
when  filled  its  capacity  is  increased  to  about  3  ^  yards. 
Water  is  taken  from  the  ground  by  means  of  a  pipe 
sunk  therein  and  a  pump  on  the  shovel,  which  is 
digging  to  water  level  only. 

42 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

COST  KEEPING  The  time  sheet  is  made  in  duplicate 
and  is  sent  to  the  main  office,  where 
the  payroll  is  made  up  and  the  total  amount  charged  to 
the  job.  The  steam  shovel  report  also  goes  to  the  main 
office  every  day.  This  is  made  out  by  the  steam  shovel 
engineer,  but  is  copied  by  the  clerk  to  obtain  a  clean 
sheet.  A  facsimile  of  such  a  report  blank  is  given 
on  page  46. 

At  this  place  is  a  car  repair  shop  and  the  work 
recorded  by  the  use  of  a  system  of  cards  which  are 
made  out  in  duplicate.  At  the  field  office  the  only  way 
to  obtain  the  cost  of  the  repairs  for  any  one  car  is  to 
go  over  all  the  slips  and  select  those  pertaining  to  the 
car  in  question. 

The  requisition  blank  consists  of  a  form  about  6x8 
inches,  similar  to  that  given  in  "  Field  System,"  by 
Gilbreth.  This  is  in  triplicate,  one  copy  for  the  main 
office,  one  for  the  field,  and  one  for  the  mechanical 
engineer  at  the  shop.  If  the  latter  have  the  material 
wanted  on  hand  he  sends  it  to  the  job,  but  if  he  lack 
it  he  copies  the  requisition,  sending  it  to  the  purchasing 
agent,  who  obtains  and  ships  the  goods. 


OBSERVATIONS 


Weight    .          .     70  tons 
Gauge 

Capacity  of  dipper   . 
Height  of  lift 
Kind  of  teeth 
Number  of  pitmen 
Height  blocked  up 
Length  of  boom 


shipping  weight  without  coal  and  water 

Standard 

3  27  cu.  yds.,  including  lip 

9#' 

.    None,  but  steel  lip  extended  31" 
4 


28' 


Length  of  dipper  handle 18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track         ....  24^ 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom        .                   .         .         •         •  20 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump         .                 .  •„ .        .  27' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump       t  .        \         .         .  16' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle         '.'        .         .         ...         .  7'  6" 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks       .  .         .  i' 

43 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


OBSERVATIONS—  Continued 


Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure)  .         .         . 

Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track 
Depth  of  dipper  including  lip          .         .          .         . 
Cubic  yards  excavated  (place  measure)  .          . 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day      .. 
Number  of  times  moved  forward   .... 
Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move 
Average  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move 


3300 

43' 

7 

6'  6" 
6'  2" 


Average    time    between    beginning   of    one    shovel    move    and 
beginning  of  next  .....     74.7  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move       ....  16.2 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains  108^  minutes 

Area  of  section       .......        1500  sq.  ft. 

Height  of  face         ......  o  to  about  75' 

Cubic  yards  per  car  (place  measure)      .  average  21.2  yards 


Coal  cost 
Weather  clear. 


$3.00  per  ton  (Hocking  Valley) 


TIME  STUDY 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 
Total    time    worked, 
i    minute. 


Forenoon  Afternoon 

7:06  1:19 

11:48  4:38 

182    +    199  =    481   minutes   =    8   hours 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent. 

Actual  working      
Spotting  cars 

325 

7O 

67.6 
o  7 

\Vaiting  for  cars 

4C 

22    6 

Moving  shovel       
Miscellaneous  delays,  including 
8  minutes  clearing  track 

32 
II 

45 

6.8 

2-3 

Total  time  under  observation 

481 

IOO.O 

44 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct  Labor  Distribution 

Standar 

d  Basis 

Per  Day 

Loading 

Spreading 

Incidental 

Total 

i  runner      .                ... 

5OO 

i  craneman      
i  fireman     
3  pitmen      
3  spreaders       

3.60 
2.40 
4.50 

4    SO 

•     • 

•     • 

Watchman       
Timekeeper     

•     • 

'•SO 
2    OO 

Shop  engineer      .... 
i  machinist 

•     • 

2.OO 
3OO 

i  car  repairer  

2.OO 

Total  cost  of  labor  per  day 

Cost  per  cu.  yd.,  cts.      .     . 
Per  cent      

$15-5° 

0.47 
50.6 

$4.50 

o.  14 

15-0 

$IO.5O 
0.32 

34.4 

$3°-  5° 
o.93 

100.  0 

Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 
Per  Yd. 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading     .     . 

325 

67.6 

0.318 

2.  Delays    

. 

(a)   Moving  up     ... 

32 

45 

6.8 

0.032 

0-35° 

Charge  to   transportation 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 

I  12 

15 

23-3 

o.  109 

2.  Miscellaneous  delays 

II 

2-3 

0.01  I 

0.120 

Charge  total  

48l 

100.  0 

0.470 

Incidental  labor 
Direct  labor 


-=0.525 


45 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


! 

j 

S 

^ 

£ 

OS 

n 

§ 

2 

s 

M 

%     H 

O     BSi 

o  o 

Cd       H 

O     tf 

H4         •*              * 

V. 

S 

M 

1 

a/     a       ^ 

>1 
•«) 

» 

33 

MH    H       ex, 

S     0        § 

h-) 
H 

Q 

$ 

9 

w  a    ^ 

^ 

s 

CJ      53 

§  | 

S 

2 

| 

w    *si 

H 

n 

0^     H 

it  • 

B 

W    g 

H 

M 

H 

i 

M 

H 

^ 

fi 

o 

M 

= 

H-t 

z 

! 

»I 

1 

K/» 

^ 

M 

- 

. 

H 

? 

i 

« 

| 

a, 

M 

s 

0 

g 

j 

S               is**- 

. 

I  ili 

^ 

< 

|2          w      z      z 

a 

& 
- 

''i 

o 

M 

**, 

46 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


\ 


II 


47 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  3.     Bucyrus  Shovel  No.  612  at  Dune  Park,   Ind. 


Fig.  4.     Bucyrus  Shovel  No.  1118  at  Kent,  Ohi 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

» 

REPORT  No.  2  -   -  SHOVEL  No.  1118 

INSPECTED    JULY    16,    1909 
KENT,    OHIO 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      This  work  was  part  of  that 

undertaken  in  the  relocation 

of  the  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  R.  R.,  at  Kent,  Ohio,  and 
was  done  by  John  B.  Carter,  under  contract,  and  under 
the  personal  direction  of  R.  G.  Hengst,  manager,  who 
may  be  congratulated  on  the  highly  efficient  manage- 
ment of  this  work.  The  material  was  uniform  in 
quality,  and  there  was  every  opportunity  to  keep  the 
output  at  its  maximum  by  competition  among  the  men, 
produced  by  offering  substantial  prizes.  On  the  day 
of  inspection  a  five  dollar  Panama  hat  was  offered  as  a 
prize  to  the  dinkey  runner  who  should  average  the  best 
time  for  spotting  cars  during  the  afternoon's  work.  The 
time  was  computed  from  the  dumping  of  the  first  dipper- 
ful  into  an  empty  train  until  the  latter  started  on  its  way 
to  the  dump.  This  of  course  included  the  time  of  loading 
by  the  shovel,  and  the  shovel  runner  could  have 
"  pulled "  the  race  by  favoring  one  of  the  dinkey 
runners.  As  far  as  could  be  observed,  however,  every 
man  did  his  utmost  to  make  the  contest  fair  and  to 
let  the  best  man  win.  After  five  hours'  work  one  of  the 
runners  was  declared  winner  of  the  hat  by  less  than 
30  seconds,  while  the  actual  loading  done  was  far  in 
excess  of  what  would  have  been  accomplished  without 
such  incentive. 

The  general  result  of  occasional  competitions  of  this 
kind  was  to  develop  an  exceedingly  efficient  field  force. 

REPAIRS      Repairs  are  anticipated  and  important  parts 
are   kept    in    duplicate    in   the    storeroom. 
This  shovel  and  No.  1119  (see  page  1 04)  are  exactly 
alike. 

49 


H  A  N  I)  B  O  O  K    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


—  30'  —  ~H 


Typical  Cross  Section 


OBSERVATIONS 


Material  is  fine  gravel  with  occasional  strata  of  sand.     Ideal 
material  to  handle.     Weather  fair  after  heavy  rain  during  night. 


Standard  gauge  70  C 

On  yo-pound  short  rail  sections,  6 

16'  6" 

6"x8'x8' 

*l/2  yards 

New  April  i,  1909 

4^  months 

10  hours 


Type  of  shovel     . 
Distance  of  move 
Height  of  lift  .... 
Size  of  ties  under  shovel 
Size  of  bucket 
Age  of  shovel 
Duration  of  job    . 
Length  of  shift     . 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

Water  pipe  from  pumping  station 
Coal  hauled  by  teams  and  shoveled  into  bunkers. 
Repairs  are  made  by  crew,  between  shifts,  or  whenever  neces- 
sary. 

Coal  used        3^  tons  per  24  hours 

Water  used 300  gallons  per  hour 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  3  or  4  weeks     .      .  Very  clear  water  used 
Contract  price       ....  25  cts.  per  yard  in  embankment 

Contract  includes  embankment. 
Narrow  gauge  track  3  ,  55-pound  rails  for  cars. 

Kind  and  size  of  cars  used K.  &  J.,  4  yards 

Train  is  braked  by  steam  on  locomotive  ;  by  hand  on  cars. 
Kind  of  signals  used,  hand  by  brakeman  standing  on  shovel. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey     . Vulcan,  i6-ton 

Length  of  haul     .  Max.  3500',  min.  2300' 

Number  of  trains 3 

Age  of  cars  and  dinkey 4^  months 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  9:32:40  12:02:30 

Stopped  work  11:32:40  5:02:55 

Hrs.    Min.  Sec.        Hrs.  Min.  Sec. 
Total  time  worked     2        o       0+5      0025  =  7  hrs.  25  sec. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working       ...... 

247 

12 

58.9 

Waiting  for  cars     

31 

H 

7-4 

Moving  shovel        

20 

13.2 

Miscellaneous  delays  

(86 

39) 

(20.5) 

Coaling      

5 

1.2 

Repairing  track  

4 

45 

I.I 

Repairing  track  

3 

50 

•9 

Pulling  track  on  dumps     . 

72 

04 

I7.I 

Minor  repairs      

i 

.2 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

420 

25 

100.  0 

Average  number  of  cars  loaded  per  day  (average  of  85  days) 
=  516  @  4X  yards. 

Average  number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  (average  of  85 
days)  =  2193. 


Standard  Basis 


Per  Day 

Loading 

Trans- 
portation 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

i  runner 

$5.00 
3.60 
2.40 

6.00 

$7.80 
4-5° 

i  craneman 

i  fireman     
3  dinkeymen    
3  brakemen     
4  pitmen      
9  dumpmen     
dump  foreman       .     .     . 
pipeman  .     .     .     .     .  '    '. 
smith        
i  smith  helper      .... 
watchman     

$13.50 
2.OO 

$1.50 
2.  50 

•      .   .   . 

1-5° 

l-S° 

Cost  of  labor  per  day   .     . 
Cost   per   day    per   cubic 
yard,  cents 

$17.00 

0.78 
33-° 

$12.30 
o.  56 

23.7 

$I5.50 

0.7O 
29.7 

$7  .00 

0.32 
13.6 

$51.80 

2.36 
IOO.O 

Per  cent      .     .     . 

51 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Ti 

ne 

Per 

Cost  per 

Total' 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Cent 

Cents 

Per  Yd. 

Charge  to  loading 
i.  Actual  loading 
2.  Delays     .     . 

247 

12 

58.9 

o.459l 

(a)   Moving  up       ... 
(b)   Miscellaneous      .     . 
Charge  to  transporting  and 
dumping 
i.   Waiting  for  cars    .     . 
2.   Miscellaneous        .     . 

55 
6 

31 
80 

20 
14 

39 

13.2 
1.4 

7-4 
19.1 

0.103  f 

O.OI  I  J 

0.058  1 
0.149  f 

0-573 
0.207 

420 

25 

IOO.O 

0.780 

Time  Study  Reductions 

Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum            Mean 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time  for  moving  up, 
shovel  idle      .     .     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working   .     . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper      .     . 
Number  of  dippers  to 
move      
Number  of  dippers  per 
train 

19 

20 
21 

36 
21 

20 
36 
432 

I 

7 
'o 

2O 

35 
55 
07 
16 

2 

12 

I 

6 

54 

23 
29 

52 
17 

5 
H 
8 

45 
°5 

10 

19 

24 

24       .. 

..     42-3 
.  .     24.2 

2.  02 

..       48 
26 

Number  of  dippers  per 
car 

Very  interesting  light  upon  one  of  the  competitions, 
as  demonstrating  what  can  be  done  in  uniform  material, 
is  given  by  the  following  detailed  analysis  of  the  above 
time  study. 

TIME   STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  9:32:40  12:02:30 

Stopped  work  11:32:40  5:02:55 

Hrs.  Min.  Sec.  Hrs.  Min.  Sec. 

Total  time  worked         2     oo     oo     +      5     oo     25     =     7  hours 
25  seconds. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


(Read  from  left  to  right) 


£- 

c 

a 

H 

H 

!5  *** 

0) 

1 

J-, 

fl 

C 
1 

£  s 

3 
O 

c  S, 

wC 

2 

j£  c 

2 

£$ 

ll 

5 

1 

>  £ 

e 

& 

s, 

1 

|« 

<M  ^ 

.§ 

QH 

2  ^ 

&* 

M 

*gj 

H 

3 

w« 

Q 

EH 

H 

Min.    Sec. 

Min.  Sec. 

Min.  Sec. 

Sec. 

Miu.  Sec. 

Min.  Sec. 

7   35 

24 

7  35 

24 

18.90 

*. 

5      45 

7   50 

25 

7  5° 

25 

18.75 

*. 

.  .       .  . 

5     30 

7  40 

26 

13    15 

43 

18.50 

2    05 

2       20 

8   10 

26 

I  40 

Contest  begins 

6  07 

24 

12    07 

44 

16  50 

I  13 

i     30 

7  25 

26 

8    20 

29 

17.20 

i  35 

.  . 

i     40 

7  20 

24 

10  05 

33 

18.30 

1  5° 

2       00 

7  °5 

24 

o  55 

I       20 

6  55 
7  07 

24 
24 

10  50 

38 

17.10 

i  25 
i  23 

5     oo  coaling 

6  42 

24 

9  54 

35 

16  9 

i     53      Noon  29  minutes  50  seconds                    *  

6  30 

24 

i  20 

6  30 

24 

13  oo 

48 

16.20 

o  55 

2     40 

625 

6  55 

24 

24 

I3     20 

48 

16.65 

*:.3? 

4     45  track 

2       00 

6  25 

24 

I   20 

7  i5 

24 

13  4° 

48 

17-05 

*. 

3     05 

6  25 

24 

i  35 

2      58 

6  32 
632 

6    21 

24 
24 
'  24 
24 

'13   16 

13  °4 

48 
48 

16^55 
16.30 

*. 
i  29 

3     5° 
72     04  throw- 
ing track 
on  dump 

6  40 

24 

13  01 

48 

16.24 

$o  15 

i     oo  misc. 

3     25 

6  20 

24 

I    20 

.  . 

6  42 

24 

13    02 

48 

16.27 

$0    22 

2     53 

7  08 

24 

I    30 

•  •      •  • 

6  39 

24 

13   47 

48 

17    20 

*.    .   . 

2     54 

6  17 

24 

.     .     . 

i  18 

7  °7 

24 

13   24 

48 

16.72 

Jo  15 

3     15 

6  36 

24 

i  28 

.  . 

7   17 

24 

i3  53 

48 

17-34 

*.  .  . 

3     39 

6  48 

24 

i  27 

7   I2 

24 

14  oo 

48 

17    50 

Jo  15 

.  . 

3     33 

6  24 
7  oo 

24 
24 

13  24 

48 

16.72 

I    21 

Jo  15 

3     oo 

6  25 

24 

t  6  25 

t24 

16.05 

•  •  • 

Total       55     20 

247     12 

871 

247    I2 

871 

31  14 

86     39 

6  52 

42-3 

17.10 

I  25 

12  cars  to  train.     Total  cars,  432 


.  ,        . 

tLeft  out  of  averages,  because  not  a  full  move  worked. 
*Train  up  during  move  or  at  noon  or  shortly  after.     Therefore  not  used  in 


t*T 
averages 


53 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 

RESULTS    OF    CONTEST 

As  before  stated  this  contest  was  for  the  price  of  a 
Panama  hat  to  be  given  to  the  dinkey  engineer  who 
averaged  the  best  time  for  loading  a  train,  /.  e.,  "  load- 
ing time.  " 


Dinkey  No.  7 
Loading  Time 

Dinkey  No.  4 
Loading  Time 

Dinkey  No.  3 
Loading  Time 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Dip'rs 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Dip'  rs 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Dip'rs 

6 

07 

24 

7 

25 

26 

7 

20 

24 

7 

°5 

24 

6 

55 

24 

7 

07 

24 

6 

42 

24 

6 

30 

24 

6 

30 

24 

6 

25 

24 

6 

55 

24 

6 

25 

24 

7 

15 

24 

6 

25 

24 

6 

51 

24 

6 

32 

24 

6 

32 

24 

6 

21 

24 

6 

40 

24 

6 

20 

24 

6 

42 

24 

7 

08 

24 

6 

39 

24 

6 

17 

24 

7 

07 

24 

6 

36 

24 

7 

17 

24 

6 

48 

24 

7 

12 

24 

6 

24  (10) 

24 

7 

00(11) 

24 

6 

25(H) 

24 

T'l  74 

49 

T'l    7S 

54 

T'l   67 

H 

Av.    6 

48 

Av.    6 

43-°9 

Av.    6 

43-4 

Cars      132 

Cars      132 

Cars      1  20 

Dip'rs  264 

Dip'rs  266 

Dip'rs  240 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent. 

Actual  working      
Waiting  cars      
Moving  shovel       
Miscellaneous  delays      .     .     . 

215 

27 
41 
H 

57 
29 
45 
35 

72.0 
9.2 
13-9 

4-9 

299 

46 

IOO.O 

NOTE — In  the  above  ratio,  the  72  minutes  4  seconds  delay 
due  to  pulling  track  on  dump  is  omitted. 


54 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

The  material  was  ideal  for  steam  shovel  work,  and  as 
the  time  study  shows,  the  machine  worked  with  clock- 
like  regularity. 

The  total  loading  time  of  the  contest  was  215  min- 
utes 57  seconds,  and  in  this  time  770  complete  dipper 
swings  were  made,  and  384  cars  at  4  cubic  yards  each 
were  loaded. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  the  remarkable  closeness 
of  the  averages. 

It  is  our  understanding  that  the  output  shown  on 
page  56,  in  cars  of  4^  cubic  yards  capacity,  was 
accomplished  during  the  months  designated. 

Shovel  No.  1118  was  moved  back  on  standard  rails 
30  feet  in  length,  only  6  rails  being  used,  and  the  method 
employed  was  as  follows: 

When  the  shovel  had  finished  its  cut,  a  track  90  feet 
long  was  laid  behind  it  joining  the  regular  shovel 
track  made  up  of  short  sections.  The  shovel  was  then 
backed  to  the  end  of  this  track,  and  as  soon  as  it 
had  passed  off  the  first  rail-length  the  rails  were 
picked  up  by  four  men  and  thrown  over  the  loading 
track.  On  this  track  stood  a  dinkey  with  a  6  by 
8-inch  piece  fastened  to  its  front  end,  and  long  enough 
to  extend  about  6  feet  from  the  side  of  the  dinkey  on 
the  shovel  side  of  the  track.  At  the  end  of  this  was  a 
piece  of  ^-inch  cable,  wrapped  securely  around  the 
timber,  and  with  a  loose  end  about  i  o  feet  long.  At  the 
loose  end  of  the  cable  was  a  hook  made  of  material 
small  enough  to  be  inserted  in  the  bolt  holes  in  the  rail. 

When  a  rail  was  moved  over  toward  the  loading  track 
this  hook  was  fastened  to  the  rail  and  the  dinkey  then 
dragged  the  rail  to  the  rear  of  the  shovel.  While  the 
four  men  were  moving  the  rails  and  the  dinkey  was 
dragging  them,  three  other  men  were  gathering  up  the 
ties  and  putting  them  in  piles  of  three  or  four  each, 
fastening  them  with  chains.  The  ties  were  dragged  by 
mule  team  to  a  place  in  rear  of  the  shovel  where  they 

55 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


No. 

April 

May 

June 

July 

, 

173 

1  66  dug  out 

564 

552 

2 

5l6 

1  08  dug  out 

3 

688 

5l6 

3i2,3hrscost 

4 

720 

492 

•  • 

5 

1  36  starting 

800 

264 

6 

752 

612 

7 

387 

732 

576 

SS2 

8 

426 

752 

552 

612 

9 

420 

. 

5l6 

600 

10 

496 

moving  back 

552 

ii 

1  28  dug  out 

SS2 

12 

672 

624 

516 

!3 

1  50  dug  out 

640 

5°4 

14 

3  24  moving  back 

656 

468 

492 

.  . 

.  .  5  hours 

624 

492 

84  dug  out 

15 

522 

•  • 

564 

16 

660 

528 

408 

17 

708 

624 

576 

18 

!9 

408 

636 

468 

20 

336 

264  dug  out 

21 

720 

300 

516 

22 

708 

564 

216  dug  out 

* 

23 

300 

540 

336 

24 

732 

660 

588 

25 

612 

588 

26 

708 

624 

588 

27 

780 

5°4 

28 

696 

564 

SS2 

29 

416 

264 

564 

3° 

640 

552 

31 

408 

10,350 

14,918 

12,648 

HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

were  spaced  by  two  men  and  made  ready  to  receive  the 
rails.  As  soon  as  sufficient  ties  for  a  rail  length  of 
track  were  laid,  the  rails  that  had  just  been  brought 
back  by  the  dinkey  were  placed  upon  them  and  fastened 
to  the  rails  on  which  the  shovel  stood,  and  were  con- 
nected and  spaced  by  four  regular  track  bridles.  The 
shovel  then  moved  back  one  rail  length  and  so  left 
a  rail  length  in  front  of  its  position  uncovered,  this 
being  then  torn  up  and  moved  back — the  rails  by  the 
dinkey  and  the  ties  by  the  mules. 
The  force  engaged  included  the 

Shovel  engineer  i  Mule  team  and  driver 

Craneman  8  Men  moving  rails 

Fireman  5  Men  moving  ties 

Dinkey  engineer  4  Pitmen  bolting  track,  etc. 
Dinkey  brakeman 
i  Foreman 

at  a  total  labor  cost  of  $46.60  per  day. 

It  took  i  hour  10  minutes,  to  move  the  shovel  back 
300  feet  in  this  manner  or  .1167  of  a  day. 

o.  1 1 67  x  $46.60 -  $5 .44  to  move  300  feet  or  i  .8 1  cents 
per  foot. 

Preparatory  cost  was  $1500;  includes  moving  shovel 
2500  feet  from  railroad  tracks  on  practically  same  grade 
as  bottom  of  pit. 

Distance  of  move  in  pit  laterally  for  each  bank 
averages  30  feet  for  eleven  moves. 

ACTUAL   RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds      60,000 

L£ —  —       —  =  5.00. 

Coal    consumption,  pounds         7,500 


57 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT    No.  3       -  SHOVEL    No.  611 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER  14,  1909 
GARY,  IND. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS     The  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 

as  part  of  the  improvement 

of  its  lines  west  of  Pittsburgh,  is  abolishing  grades  at 
South  Chicago.  The  contract  for  excavating  and  plac- 
ing the  earth  for  this  embankment  is  in  the  hands  of 
P.  T.  Clifford  &  Sons,  of  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  while  every- 
thing else,  including  concrete  and  timber  work,  is  being 
done  by  the  Brownell  Improvement  Company  of 
Chicago,  111. 

Sand  is  used  for  the  filling  and  is  taken  from  a  sand 
pit  owned  by  Mr.  Clifford  and  located  at  Gary,  Ind., 
and  steam  shovel  Bucyrus  No.  611  is  occupied  in  load- 
ing this  sand  into  cars  supplied  by  the  Pennsylvania 
Railway  and  transported  by  them  a  distance  of  15  miles 
over  their  main  line  to  the  fill  at  South  Chicago. 

THE  SHOVEL  The  steam  shovel  itself  has  no  features 
that  would  distinguish  it  from  any  of 
the  others  of  the  yo-ton  class,  but  the  method  of  blocking 
up  the  rear  trucks  is  different  from  the  usual  practice. 
These  are  raised  20  inches  while  the  front  ones  are 
elevated  only  the  usual  6  inches.  The  reason  given  for 
this  by  the  runner  was  that  the  boom  "  swung  better." 
When  it  is  swung  loaded  over  the  cars  it  can  be  stopped 
more  quickly  and  will  swing  back  in  less  time  than  when 
blocked  evenly.  The  boom  is  of  the  truss  type  with 
lattice  side  bracing,  and  both  it  and  the  dipper  handle 
are  made  entirely  of  steel.  Water  was  taken  from  the 
locomotive. 

PLANT  ARRANGEMENT     As  indicated  by  the  sketch, 

the   Pennsylvania   Railroad 
maintains  a  small  yard  at  this  point.    The  arrows  show 

58 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  direction  taken  by  loaded  and  empty  cars.  Two 
large  freight  locomotives  were  kept  in  this  yard  to  haul 
the  trains  to  the  main  line.  Two  road  locomotives  hauled 
from  the  siding  to  the  fill  in  South  Chicago.  A  small 
shop  containing  a  boiler  to  supply  steam  for  the  pump 
that  forces  water  into  the  tank,  a  drilling  machine,  and  a 
few  hand  tools  are  also  maintained  here  by  the  railroad. 
At  the  fill  in  South  Chicago  the  sand  is  shoveled  from 
the  cars  by  some  50  Italian  laborers,  and  after  the  train 
pulls  out,  a  side  scraper  levels  off  the  bank. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel        7o-ton 

Gauge  track  standard 

Capacty  of  dipper 3  cu.  yds 

Height  of  lift 7' 

Kind  of  teeth Extended  lip 

Number  of  pitmen 4 

Height  blocked  up  rear  trucks,  20";  front  trucks  ....       6" 

Length  of  boom 28'  o" 

Length  of  dipper  handle        18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 18'  8" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track 23'  8" 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 21' 6" 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 28' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 16' 

Diameter  of  bull  wheel 7/^' 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks          .     *  8" 

Distance  inside  dinkey  tracks  to  inside  shovel  track  .     .  20' 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) 5°%" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 71" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 44 ' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 7 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move    .      .      .        7'  4" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move 

and  beginning  of  next 60.7  min. 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move  .  .     .          10.8 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  train  ....       267  min. 

Area  of  section        .     .     .     .     .    75$ sq.ft. 

Height  of  face 24'  to  zero 

Cubic  yards  per  car  .     .     .        21.1  place  measure  (average) 

Weather,  clear 

59 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Total  time  worked 
7  minutes. 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon 

7:09 
I2:OO 


Afternoon 

12:48 

5:°4 


291  +  256  =  547  minutes  =  9  hours 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

193 

3° 

35-4 

Spotting  cars     

I 

3° 

0-3 

Waiting  for  cars    

267 

oo 

48.8 

Moving  shovel       

28 

oo 

5-1 

Miscellaneous  delays      .     .     . 

7 

00 

i  .3 

Idle-engineer  looking  after  fire 

21 

oo 

3-8 

Pitmen  loosening  bank        .     . 

I 

oo 

O.2 

Waiting  for  cars  to  pull  out    . 

2 

oo 

0.4 

Fixing  valve  on  crane  engine 

6 

oo 

I  .  I 

Taking  water     

10 

oo 

1.8 

Taking  coal       

IO 

00 

1.8 

Total  time  under  observation 

547 

00 

100.  0 

THE  SHOVEL  CREW  PAY  ON  STANDARD  BASIS 


Runner 
Cranemen 
Firemen 
4  pitmen     . 
6  trackmen 


3.60 
2.40 
6.00 
9.00 


Labor  cost  per  day  for  excavating. 


$26.00 


Cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation  1602 

Cost  of  loading  per  cubic  yard  (direct  labor  only),  — ^ —  =  1.62 
cents  per  cubic  yard. 


60 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  pei- 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost  per 
Yard 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge     to     waiting    for 

blasters  

I 

O.  2 

0.003 

0.003 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading      .     . 
2.  Delays 

193 

3° 

35-4 

0-574] 
i 

a  Moving  up    . 

28 

.    . 

5-  : 

0.083  [ 

0.796 

b    Repairs 

6 

i.i 

0.018 

c    Miscellaneous    . 

41 

7-5 

O.I2I  J 

Charge   to  transportation 

and  dumping 

i  .  Waiting  for  cars  . 
2.  Miscellaneous 

270 

•7 

3° 

49.4 

0.800  ) 
O.O2I   J 

0.821 

547 

oo 

IOO.O 

1.620 

Fig.  5.     Dipper  used  on  Shovel  No.  611 
6l 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


62 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Figs.  6  and  7.     Two  Views  of  yo-ton  Bucyrus  Steam  Shovel  on  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Improvement,  South  Chicago 

63 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT   No.  4          SHOVEL    No.   166 

INSPECTED    SEPTEMBER  12,  1909 
SOUTH   BEND,  IND. 

LOCATION  OF  WORK     Shovel     No.    166    is    located 
about  5  miles  outside  of  South 

Bend,  Ind.,  at  what  is  locally  known  as  Ruple's  Pit. 
This  is  a  gravel  pit  and  was  originally  worked  by  the 
Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railway,  having 
been  bought  by  them  from  Mr.  Ruple  at  a  cost  of  $115 
an  acre  for  140  acres,  125  of  which  are  estimated  as 
sand,  the  remainder  being  swamp  land.  The  pit  is  now 
leased  by  the  Knickerbocker  Ice  Company.  It  is  an  un- 
cemented  gravel,  similar  to  that  found  in  dunes  through- 
out New  York  state.  It  contains  a  sharp  sand  that  is 
very  clear,  leaving  practically  no  dirt  when  rubbed  in 
the  palm  of  the  hand. 

THE  SHOVEL  The  shovel  is  of  a  very  old  45-ton 
crane  type.  The  boiler  is  vertical. 
The  swing  circle  is  located  at  the  top  instead  of  the 
bottom  of  the  boom  mast  and  is  10  feet  in  diameter, 
the  swinging  chain  passing  over  the  roof  and  through 
it  to  the  drum.  The  crane  is  a  triangular  truss,  the  mast 
consisting  of  a  solid  casting  9^/2  feet  high.  The  lower 
and  upper  chords  of  the  crane  are  composed  of  channels 
3x10  inches  braced  vertically  by  angles.  There  is  no 
thrusting  engine  on  this  machine,  the  dipper  being  held 
to  the  face  by  the  hoisting  engine  and  by  a  foot  friction 
brake  on  the  large  gear  wheel  at  the  shipper  shaft.  It 
is  operated  by  the  craneman,  who  releases  the  brake 
when  the  dipper  is  in  position  to  begin  digging,  and 
applies  it  a  soon  as  the  dipper  touches  the  ground, 
holding  it  there  while  the  hoisting  chain  draws  it 
through  the  bank.  This  arrangement  is  more  fatiguing 
to  the  craneman  than  is  the  crane  engine,  but  in  spite 

64 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


of  this  fact,  and  notwithstanding  that  the  craneman  was 
just  learning  to  operate  the  shovel,  good  time  was  made. 
The  dipper  is  correspondingly  small,  holding  1.25  cubic 
yards  water  measure,  but  as  the  lip  projects  out  18 
inches  and  consists  of  a  plain  piece  of  i^-inch  steel 
extending  half  way  up  the  side  of  the  dipper,  the 
capacity  is  increased  to  about  1.9  cubic  yards. 

Only    half    the    plant    is 
being  operated,  the  labor 
force  consisting  of  1 6  men 
with  but  one  locomotive  and  a  45-ton  shovel. 

The  sketch  shows  the  storage  yard  and  the  method 
of  hauling  to  the  washer.  The  track  is  all  standard 
gauge  and  the  length  of  haul  is  about  2100  feet.  A 
5o-ton  locomotive  was  used  and  hauled  one  bottom 
dump  car  of  31  cubic  yards  capacity.  There  was 
no  alternate  train  and  consequently  the  shovel  was  idle 
a  large  part  of  the  time. 


PLANT,   ARRANGEMENT, 
HANDLING  OF  MATERIAL 


Fig.  8.     Shovel  No.  166  at  South  Bend,  Ind. 
65 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

ADDITIONAL  NOTES     Water  is  obtained  by  driving  a 
pipe  with  the  usual  point  and 

filter  to  a  depth  of  about  6  feet  and  drawing  the  water 
up  by  means  of  a  pump  on  the  shovel,  which  is  digging 
to  the  water  level  only.  Pools  of  water  sometimes 
form  in  front  of  it,  but  these  are  filled  with  sand  as  fast 
as  they  appear.  * 

The  hinge  of  the  dipper  is  at  its  side. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Gauge Standard 

Height  of  lift 9' 

Kind  of  teeth None — extended  lip 

Height  blocked  up i' 

Length  of  boom 24^' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 13' 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 14'  9" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track 19' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 19'  7" 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 22' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump    .     .     .     .13',  plus  or  minus 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 10' 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks i' 

Distance  inside  dinkey  tracks  to  inside  shovel  tracks      .      i^'  7" 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) "  22" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 40" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  teeth No  teeth 

Height  of  boom  post 9'  4" 

Number  cars  loaded 12 

Cubic  yards  excavated  (place  measure) 373 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 29' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 5 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move     .     .     .       6'  4" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next 96.5  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 2.4 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  train     .     .     Z79/i  minutes 

Area  of  section  about 450  square  feet 

Height  of  face 14' 

Average  yardage,  place  measure,  per  car 31 

Coal  costs  $3.00  a  ton  at  shovel  and  is  Hocking  Valley. 
Weather  cloudy. 

66 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:54  12:30 

Stopped  work  II:3X  6:01 

Total  time  worked  217    +   331  minutes  =   548  minutes  = 

9  hours  8  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent. 

•\ctual  working 

IV! 

I  c 

22  .  S 

Spotting  cars 

Changing  trains  
Moving  shovel     
Miscellaneous  delays   .... 
Idle—  Setting    key    in    shipper 
shaft  

379 
35 

2 

rs 

30 

69.2 

6.4 
1-4 

o-5 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

548 

100.  0 

Standard  Basis 


Per  Day 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Spread- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental ' 

Total 

Runner       
Craneman       
<->  pitmen 

$5-00 
3.60 
•j    OO 

.    .    . 

i  washer  runner 

$2.OO 

man  at  locomotive  hopper 

i   so 

i  man  at  washer      .     .     . 
3  carmen    

$4.50 
I     SO 

1.50 

.    .    . 

.   .    . 

$i  .  So 

watchman    .     .     . 
locomotive  engineer 

::: 

2.6o 

.    . 

l-5° 

.   .   . 

Total  cost   of  direct  labor 
per  day  
Cost    direct    labor,    cubic 
yard,  cts.     .      .  '   .     .     . 
Per  cent     

$i  i  .60 

3-  ii 
41.1 

$8.60 

2.31 
30.6 

$5-00 

i-34 

17.7 

$3-°° 

0.80 
10  6 

$28.20 

7-56 
IOO.O 

Note. — By  the  locomotive  hopper  is  meant  the  hopper  into 
which  the  material  is  dumped  from  the  cars.  The  bottoms  of  the 
cars  are  lined  with  hay  to  hold  the  sand. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 

Cost 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Charge     to    waiting     for 

blasters  

3 

.    . 

0-5 

0.016 

0.016 

Charge   to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

123 

15 

22.51  °-7°°;     •  •  • 

2.  Delays    

a  Moving  up    ... 

35 

6.4 

0.199 

°-943 

b  Repairs      .... 

2 

30 

°-5 

0.016 

c  Miscellaneous    .     . 

5 

0.9 

0.028 

.  •  • 

Charge     to     transporting 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 

379 

'5 

69.2 

2.151 

2.151 

548 

IOO.O 

3.110 

Fig.  9.     i  J^ -yard  Bucket  with  1 8-inch  Lip  added,  Increasing  Capacity  to  about  2 
Yards,  45-ton  Type,  near  South  Bend,  Ind. 


OS 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


X 


•< 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  5  SHOVEL  No.  58 

INSPECTED    SEPTEMBER    24-25,    1909 
JANESVILLE,    WIS. 

LOCATION  In  addition  to  its  plant  at  South  Bend, 
Ind.  (see  p.  64),  the  Knickerbocker  Ice 
Company  has  a  gravel  pit  and  washer  at  Janesville,  Wis. 
These  two  plants  present  several  points  of  difference,  in 
some  instances  the  conditions  being  exactly  reversed. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS     The    pit    is    located    about 

two  miles  east  of  Janesville 

and  on  the  line  of  the  C.,  M.  &  St.  P.  Railway,  which 
has  a  siding  to  the  washer.  The  material  consists  of  a 
clean  coarse  cemented  gravel  containing  considerable 
sand.  This  is  excavated  by  a  45-ton  steam  shovel  and 
loaded  into  three-yard  standard  gauge  steel  cars  which 
are  hauled  to  the  bottom  of  an  inclined  plane  by 
means  of  horses.  Two  cars  only  are  used.  From  the 
bottom  of  the  incline  they  are  hauled  by  cable  to  the 
hopper  in  the  tower  at  the  top,  where  the  material  is 
dumped  from  the  car  automatically.  The  car  is  then 
lowered  and  hauled  back  to  the  shovel  by  the  horse. 

THE  SHOVEL  The  material  is  easy  to  dig,  and  the 
shovel  had  no  difficulty  in  making 
rapid  progress.  It  is  of  a  very  old  type,  the  number 
58  indicating  that  it  was  one  of  the  first  put  on  the 
market  by  the  Bucyrus  Company.  It  is  now  twenty- 
two  years  old,  but  is  in  good  condition  and  is  well 
adapted  for  this  light  work.  Like  No.  166  at  South 
Bend,  the  swing  circle  is  at  the  top  of  the  boom  post 
and  the  crane  consists  of  a  triangular  truss. 

The  shovel  was  not  worked  to  its  full  capacity,  as 
will  be  understood  when  it  is  stated  that  it  spent  but 
1 8  per  cent,  of  the  day  in  actual  loading,  the  remainder, 

70 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

82    per   cent.,   being   in   waiting   for  cars  and  making 
repairs  to  the  washer. 

COST  KEEPING  The  time  cards  used  here  are  like 
those  used  at  Dune  Park.  The 
superintendent  stated  that  every  Sunday  during  the 
season  is  spent  in  making  repairs  to  the  plant  and 
shovel.  The  labor  cost  would  therefore  be  very  great, 
although  the  material  cost  is  not  excessive. 

GENERAL     The  operation  of  turning  the  hoisting  cable 
on  the  inclined  runway  end  for  end  occupied 
6  men  for  38  minutes  at  a  cost  of  69  cents,  but  the  entire 
plant  was  shut  down  in  the  meantime. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Weight 45  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity   of  dipper,  1.22  cubic  yards,  water  measure;   i%  yards 
including  lip. 

Height  of  lift 6' 

Kind  of  teeth      .     .     .          Steel  plate  lip  square  at  the  corners 

Number  of  pitmen 

Height  blocked  up        6" 

Length  of  boom 22'  6" 

Length  of  dipper  handle 13' 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 15' 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track .     18'  8" 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 16' 

Farthest  shovel  can  reach  to  dump 22' 

Highest  shovel  can  reach  to  dump 13' 

Shovel  can  cut  below  track 3/^' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle         9' 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) 4°/i" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 65^" 

Height  of  boom  post 8'  6" 

Number  of  cars  loaded I2° 

Cubic  yards  excavated      .     .  .     .     .     ....       about  360 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day    .     .     .     .     .     None 

Number  of  times  moved  forward None 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 


Area  of  section         

Height  of  face 


Coal  used 
Water  vised 
Coal  cost 


about  1300  square  feet 


55' 


about  y2  ton 
74  cubic  feet 
.85  at  mines 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 
7:08 


Afternoon 
12:50^ 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Hr.     Min.  Hr.     Min. 

Total  time  worked  4     49^   +   3      59^  =  529  minutes, 

nr  8  hours  49  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

96 

15 

18.2 

Spotting  cars 

\Vaiting  for  cars 

*1"1A 

•3Q 

67    2 

Moving  shovel       

JJ^ 

J^ 

U  j  .  - 

Idle 

Repairing   broken   strand  in 

hoisting  cable  on  inclined 

plane      

9 

15 

1.8 

Repairing  harness  .... 

i 

O.2 

Turning    cable    on    inclined 

plane  end  to  end 

37 

45 

7-1 

Repairing  broken   strand   in 

hoisting  cable  on  inclined 

plane      

35 

45 

6.8 

Putting  car  on  track    . 

5 

0.9 

Repairing  car    

9 

3° 

1.8 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

529 

IOO.O 

72 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct  Labor  Distribution 
Per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Spread- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Superintendent 

$6.00 
2.00 
I  .  CO 

.     .    . 

Timekeeper 

Night  watchman    . 

Runner 

$5  oo 

Craneman 

i  60 

i  car  loader       .... 

I     ^O 

i  bank  caver 

I     CQ 

Track  boss   .     .     .     .     . 
Crusherman       .... 

$2.00 

$1.50 
I     CO 

Towerman     

2  drivers  

1    OO 

Fireman    

i  .  ;o 

Screenman    

1.50 

3  horses    

4.5° 

Total   cost   direct    labor 
per  day      
Cost    direct    labor    per 
cubic  yard      .... 
Per  cent   

III.  60 

3,22 
31.6 

$9.50 

2.64 
2.60 

$6.00 

1.67 
16.4 

$9.50 

2.64 
26.0 

$36  .  60 
10.  17 

IOO.OO 

Time 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 

Total 

na  ysis 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Yard6r 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  .     .     . 

96 

15 

18.2 

0.586 

0.586 

Charge    to    transportation 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars     .     . 

334 

30 

63.2 

2.035) 

2.  Repairs  for  cars     .     . 

55 

3° 

10.6 

o.33n 

2.634 

3.  Miscellaneous  for  cars 

42 

45 

8.0 

0.261  J 

529 

00 

IOO.O 

3.220 

73 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

DAYS    WORKED   AND    CARS    LOADED    DURING 
LAST    SIX    MONTHS 


Month 

Days 

Cars 

April     
May*    
June      
Tulv 

23 

26 
^6 

303 
278 

354 

-JAQ 

Ausrust 

26 

^4.6 

September  ist  to  24th  inclusive       .... 

18 

286 

Total  (average,  13.6  cars  per  day)    .... 

141 

1916 

*  There  were  several  washouts  during  this  month,  part  of  the 
time  being  spent  in  making  repairs  due  to  this  cause.  The  cars 
were  freight  gondolas  loaded  ready  for  transportation,  and 
averaged  about  20  cubic  yards  capacity. 


Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Spread- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Cost  direct  labor  per  day 
(average,     six     months) 
per  cubic  yard,  cents 
Percentage  (six  months)    . 

4.27 
31.7 

3-49 
25-95 

2.  O2 
16.4 

3-49 
25-95 

J3-45 
IOO.O 

Process  Analysis 
Average  of  Six  Months 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost  per 
Yard 

Min 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  .     .     . 

96 

15 

18.2 

0.778 

0.778 

Charge    to    transportation 
and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars     .     . 

334 

30 

63.2 

2.698  } 

2.  Repairs  for  cars      .     . 

SS 

30 

10.6 

0.452  [ 

3-492 

3.  Miscellaneous  for  cars 

42 

45 

8.0 

0.342  ) 

529 

oo 

IOO.O 

4.270 

74 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TRANSPORTATION 


I 

Shovel  to 
Bottom  of 
Plane 

At  Bottom 
of  Plane 

Bottom  of 
Plane  to 
Top  of  Plane 

At  Top 
of  Plane 

d 

s 

> 
< 

•ft, 

rt 

s 

g 

§ 

> 

<! 

£ 

a 

is 

<ii 

> 

< 

d 

c 

i 

<u 

<! 

x 

n! 

Time  (seconds) 
Distance   (feet) 
Speed  (feet  per 
second)    .     . 

8 
8 

8 

69 

435 

5-8 

72 
435 

6.1 

75 
435 

6-3 

23 

36.6 

50 

39 

275 

5-° 

42.7 
275 

6.4 

55 
275 

7.0 

3 

4.2 

6 

« 

Top  of  Plane 
to  Bottom 
of  Plane 

At  Bottom 
of  Plane 

Bottom  of 
Plane 
to  Shovel 

Time  for 
Round  Trip 

a 

s 

17 

*7S 
ii 

£ 

<3 

g 

§ 

25 
275 

16.2 

c 

s 

<u 
> 

<j 

59-9 

rt 

c 
% 

70 
435 

5-° 

^ 

x 

nj 
§ 

.s 

oJ 

<: 

M.S. 
6.20 

X 

M.S. 
12.5 

Time  (seconds) 
Distance  (feet) 
Speed  (feet   per 
second)    .     . 

8 
8 

8 

20.5 
275 

13-4 

20 

85 

78.1 
435 

5-5 

87 

435 

6.2 

M.S. 
4-53 

Average  time  for  round  trip  from  daily  log,  7  minutes  20  seconds  (120  obs.) 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 
Superintendence  Incidental    labor 


=0.150 


Direct  labor 


Direct  labor 

Water    consumption,    pounds 4625 

Coal    consumption,    pounds       1000 


=0.145 


75 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


+,  1  " 
*     '  \ 


Figs.   10  and  n.     Shovel  and  Inclined  Plane  at  Janesville,  Wis. 

77 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER  VI 

STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  EARTH  AND 
GLACIAL  DRIFT 


The  peculiarity  of  this  material  for  steam  shovel  work 
is  that  it  varies  much  more  in  consistency  than  sand 
and  gravel,  may  be  difficult  to  break  up,  and  often 
contains  boulders  of  considerable  size.  It  is  the  usual 
practice  to  attack  it  with  teeth  instead  of -a  steel  lip  on 
the  bucket.  When  wet,  the  material  is  likely  to  stick 
to  the  bucket,  and  particularly  to  the  bottoms  of  dump 
cars,  making  it  difficult  to  remove  in  dumping,  and  being 
likely  to  dry  or  freeze  into  a  hard  cake.  For  this  reason 
it  is  important  to  clean  and  scrape  car  bottoms  at  night. 

Because  of  the  prevalence  of  boulders,  which  cause 
irregular  loading  of  the  bucket  and  of  the  cars,  this 
material  will  not  be  likely  to  average  quite  as  many 
yards,  place  measure,  per  car  of  the  same  size  as  will 
sand  or  "  good  "  gravel. 

When  the  large  boulders  occur,  necessitating  the  use 
of  chains  and  hooks,  or  even  mud  capping  with  dynamite 
to  reduce  their  size,  the  work  is  necessarily  much  delayed 
and  the  cost  becomes  excessive. 

Sometimes  a  good  sized  boulder  may  roll  down 
the  slope  and  injure  one  of  the  pitmen,  who  are  therefore 
more  cautious  than  when  working  in  sand,  and  conse- 
quently slower. 

In  estimating  upon  this  material  the  ground  should  be 
gone  over  with  care  by  the  man  who  is  to  make  the 
estimates,  and  a  computation  made  of  the  number  of 
boulders  above  the  limiting  size  that  are  likely  to  be 
encountered.  A  shovel  with  large  bucket  is  advisable 
for  this  work,  since  the  delays  from  boulders  are  thus 
minimized. 

78 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT    No.  6       -  SHOVEL    No.  893 

INSPECTED  JULY   14  and  15,  1909 
LONG  ISLAND  CITY,  N.  Y. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad 

is  building  a  large  storage 

yard  about  1000  feet  wide  by  8000  feet  long  at  Long 
Island  City  to  be  used  for  passenger  cars  only.  This  is 
the  so-called  "  Sunnyside  yard  "  and  connects  with  the 
main  terminal  at  34th  Street,  New  York  City,  by  means 
of  tunnels  under  the  East  River  and  Manhattan  Island. 

The  excavation  required  to  make  this  area  level  has 
been  through  the  same  glacial  drift  that  is  found  over 
Long  Island,  and  has  necessitated  the  removal  of  thou- 
sands upon  thousands  of  yards  of  material.  Three  and 
four  steam  shovels  have  been  employed  on  this  work, 
which  is  being  done  by  the  Degnon  Realty  and  Terminal 
Improvement  Company,  of  60  Wall  Street,  New  York 
City. 

At  the  time  of  the  inspection  of  Bucyrus  Shovel  No. 
893  the  work  was  nearing  completion,  the  stone  crusher 
was  being  dismantled,  the  machinery  overhauled  and 
only  one  shovel  (No.  893)  was  working.  Two  days  were 
spent  in  timing  the  different  operations  and  collecting 
miscellaneous  data. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  SHOVEL  AND  Shovel  No.  893  has 
METHODS  OF  OPERATION  standard  gauge 

railroad  car  wheels, 

weighs  seventy  tons,  and  is  about  three  years  old.  It 
has  been  overhauled  several  times  and  is  in  good  con- 
dition. It  happened,  however,  that  at  the  time  of  the 
inspection  considerable  repairing  was  necessary.  When 
first  observed  the  shovel  was  laid  up  for  45  minutes 
because  of  the  breaking  of  the  valve  stem  on  the  hoisting 
engine,  and  the  next  day  i  hour  was  spent  in  replacing 

79 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  U-bolt  on  the  dipper  handle.  Both  these  parts  are 
likely  to  break  on  any  machine,  particularly  when  the 
nuts  are  not  screwed  up  tight.  The  machine  is  equipped 
with  an  all-steel  boom  and  dipper  handle. 

The  dipper  has  been  remodeled,  so  that  it  now  has 
a  capacity  of  2.66  cubic  yards  water  measure.  It  is  of 
the  usual  design  and  is  provided  with  removable  man- 
ganese teeth.  Shortly  before  closing  down  on  the  first 
day  of  our  observation  one  of  these  teeth  broke  at  its 
base.  The  breakage  did  not  delay  the  shovel,  but  it 
required  five  men  3  hours  (overtime)  to  make  the 
necessary  repairs. 

It  will  be  noticed  under  the  "  Labor  Distribution  " 
table  that  there  are  two  more  pitmen  than  is  usual. 
The  duties  of  the  engineer  consist  in  superintending 
everything  about  the  shovel  in  a  general  way  and,  in 
co-operation  with  the  craneman,  running  the  shovel. 
His  word  is  law  in  anything  connected  with  the  shovel. 
'The  craneman  operates  the  dipper  engine  and  dumps 
the  dipper.  He  also  directly  supervises  the  operation 
of  moving  forward,  but  on  this  shovel  did  none  of  the 
actual  work.  The  pitman  receiving  $1.75  is  a  general 
handy  man  and  is  foreman  of  the  pitmen,  although  he 
does  the  same  work  as  they. 

While  the  shovel  is  operating,  the  pitmen  are  engaged 
in  taking  up  the  rails  and  ties  behind  it  and  carrying 
them  to  a  convenient  place  ahead,  so  that  they  can  be 
readily  laid.  The  ties  are  thrown  in  front  of  the  forward 
trucks,  and  as  soon  as  the  dipper  digs  high  and  far 
enough  away,  the  pitmen  lay  the  stringers  and  then  roll 
the  ties  into  place  so  that  as  soon  as  the  shovel  is  ready 
to  move,  all  that  remains  to  be  done  is  to  place  and  clamp 
them  to  the  rails,  and  set  the  jacks.  Under  the  head  of 
"  Time  Study "  will  be  found  the  percentage  of  the 
total  time  consumed  in  moving  forward. 

As  has  been  explained,  moving  the  shovel  forward  is 
an  intermittent  process.  So  far  as  is  possible,  however, 

80 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  move  back  to  enter  a  new  cut  is  made  continuous. 
This  necessitates  an  unbroken  track  behind  the  shovel. 
In  this  particular  case  it  took  all  morning  and  part  of 
the  afternoon  to  thus  clear  the  way  and  lay  the  ties 
and  rails.  The  time  required  for  such  a  process  is  of 
course  dependent  on  the  distance  the  shovel  must  be 
moved  back  and  also  upon  the  number  of  curves  en- 
countered. Great  care  should  always  be  exercised  in 
having  the  bridle  rods  in  proper  adjustment,  especially 
on  the  curves,  for  otherwise  the  shovel  will  be  likely  to 
leave  the  track,  causing  annoying  delays.  Here,  as  will 
be  seen  in  the  "Time  Study,"  the  actual  moving  back 
occupied  106  minutes,  and  48^  minutes  were  necessary 
to  get  things  into  running  order  after  the  backward 
journey. 

SUPPLIES  Coal  for  the  shovel  was  brought  in  by  the 
dinkeys,  dumped  near  by,  and  carried 
from  the  dump  by  a  laborer.  For  this  purpose  an 
ordinary  nail  keg  was  used,  and  by  having  the  man  keep 
count  of  the  number  of  kegs,  the  consumption  to  within 
a  tenth  of  a  ton  was  obtained.  On  the  first  day  this 
amounted  to  2.2  tons  and  on  the  second  to  2.7  tons. 

Water  was  supplied  through  a  pipe  carried  from  the 
city  mains  at  a  distance,  and  there  was  no  method  of 
measuring  it. 

The  amount  of  oil  and  cotton  waste  used  was  also 
indeterminate. 

GENERAL  METHODS  EMPLOYED  In  order  to  be 
BY  THE  CONTRACTOR  able  from  time  to 

time  to  tell  wheth- 

e^r  any  part  of  the  work  was  costing  more  that  it  should, 
the  engineer  in  charge  has  kept  very  close  cost  accounts, 
and  he  very  kindly  explained  his  methods. 

The  time  keeper  on  this  work  has  two  books,  using 
them  alternately.  He  does  not  write  in  the  names  or 

81 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  numbers  of  the  men  before  leaving  the  office,  but 
as  he  finds  the  men  on  the  work  he  jots  their  numbers 
or  names  one  below  the  other  just  as  he  comes  to  them, 
starting  with  a  new  page  every  day.  The  following 
day  this  book  is  left  in  the  office  and  the  clerical  force 
compares  the  timekeeper's  record  with  the  foreman's 
reports.  If  there  is  any  discrepancy  it  is  called  to  the 
timekeeper's  attention  and  he  looks  into  the  matter. 

From  these  records  the  office  force  makes  up  a  daily 
statement  showing  the  labor  employed,  the  rate  of 
wages,  the  amounts,  and  the  nature  of  the  work. 
Material  used  is  kept  account  of  by  the  amounts 
delivered  to  each  machine  or  foreman,  as  shown  by  the 
storekeeper's  daily  report. 

From  these  reports  the  engineer  himself  makes  up 
the  distribution.  This,  however,  does  not  follow  any 
definite  scheme  such  as  the  schedule  employed  by  the 
Construction  Service  Company,  but  consists  in  credit- 
ing to  each  item,  such  as  grading,  surfacing,  mixing 
concrete,  shovel  No.  i,  etc.,  its  quota  of  labor  and 
materials  used,  and  from  these  data  the  unit  costs  are 
computed  by  the  engineer,  so  that  no  one  else  has 
access  to  them.  Superintendence,  insurance,  interest, 
and  other  items  that  cannot  be  charged  directly  to  any 
one  operation  are  distributed  according  to  the  percent- 
age of  the  total  labor  cost  involved.  Superintendence 
has  been  found  to  be  about  6  to  6^/2  per  cent  of  the 
labor  cost.  The  cost  and  amount  of  coal,  oil,  and 
cotton  waste  supplied  to  any  machine  over  a  definite 
period  is  divided  by  the  number  of  working  days  and 
by  the  number  of  yards  excavated  or  hauled  to  find  the 
unit  quantities  and  costs.  Depreciation  is  not  con- 
sidered until  the  end  of  the  job.  With  the  exception 
of  the  foreman's  reports  and  the  daily  statement  of  the 
timekeeper,  no  printed  forms  are  used  for  this  work. 

The  general  plan  of  the  track  layout,  shown  on  page 
84,  is  the  ideal  arrangement  for  feeding  cars  to  a 

82 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

shovel,  as,  with  wideawake  signalmen  and  dinkey  en- 
gineers and  plenty  of  cars,  there  should  be  no  more 
reason  for  losing  time  in  spotting  trains  than  in  spotting 
cars,  for  as  soon  as  a  train  is  loaded  and  pulls  out  an- 
other follows  right  into  its  place,  and  by  loading  the 
end  car  first  no  time  need  be  lost.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  not  always  having  enough  trains  on  hand,  this 
is  what  happened  on  this  work,  and  when  the  trains  did 
follow  one  after  another  very  little  time  was  lost. 
This  arrangement  is  particularly  suitable  when  the 
number  of  moves  of  the  shovel  is  a  minimum,  for  then 
the  idle  time  of  the  dinkeys  would  be  a  minimum  also. 
The  total  "runaround"  was  7300  feet,  6600  feet  and 
6300  feet,  depending  upon  the  dump,  as  indicated  in 
the  sketch.  The  dinkeys  weighed  18  tons  each  and 
the  cars  were  the  usual  4 .  i  y-yard  side  dump  cars,  as 
shown  in  the  various  illustrations.  These  cars  hold 
about  3 . 6  cubic  yards  when  heaped  full,  according  to 
the  engineer's  estimate.  No  method  of  braking  was 
provided  or  needed,  as  the  only  steep  grades  were  those 
leading  to  the  various  dumps,  and  these  were  very  short. 
The  act  of  dumping  these  cars  was  performed  by  the 
laborers  placing  their  shoulders  to  the  under  side  and 
tilting  them  over. 

TIME  STUDY  A  minute  and  accurate  record  of  the 
working  of  the  shovel  was  kept  for 
two  consecutive  days,  and,  because  of  certain  features 
of  the  work,  it  furnishes  some  interesting  data  and 
comparisons.  The  times  required  for  all  the  movements 
of  the  shovel  and  for  all  delays,  the  amount  of  coal  used 
and  the  number  of  men  employed,  were  recorded. 
For  the  sake  of  brevity  this  has  been  set  down  in 
tabular  form. 

The  material  consisted  of  glacial  drift,  part  of  which 
was  very  loose  and  part  comparatively  well  cemented. 
Those  illustrations  showing  the  face  of  the  bank  distinctly 

83 


H  A  N  U  B  O O  K    OF     STEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 


>  $ 


,°°e* 


84 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

indicate  a  pebbly  layer  about  ten  feet  wide  with  sand 
on  the  top  and  bottom.  This  stratum  in  places  was 
very  hard,  but  the  sliding  of  the  ground  above  it  several 
times  obviated  the  necessity  of  moving  forward. 

A  feature  of  the  data  given  in  a  following  table  is  the 
large  percentage  of  time  required  for  handling  boulders. 
The  superintendent  explained  that,  as  the  material  was 
being  used  for  dressing  and  one  of  the  dumps  was  along- 
side the  main  line  tracks,  the  boulders  could  not  be 
loaded.  On  the  previous  run  they  had  been  cast  behind 
the  shovel  and  lined  the  foot  of  the  embankment,  as 
shown  very  clearly  in  Fig.  13.  There  were  some  seventy- 
five  of  these  in  front  of  the  shovel  after  it  was  moved 
back,  and  they,  of  course,  all  had  to  be  moved  again  on 
the  new  run. 

Under  "  Time  Study,"  second  day,  is  an  item  of  36^ 
minutes  for  clearing  track  after  a  blast.  The  cause  of  this 
is  distinctly  shown  in  Fig.  15,  where  it  is  seen  how  the 
blast  loosened  the  earth  so  that  it  slid  down  upon  the 
dinkey  tracks. 

The  time  for  a  round  trip,  given  under  "Observa- 
tions," is  an  average  as  indicated  by  the  difference  in 
time  between  the  departure  of  the  train  and  its  return 
to  the  shovel.  In  some  instances  this  includes  "waiting 
on  the  shovel  "  and  in  some  it  does  not,  but  the  average 
will  be  very  nearly  the  time  for  a  round  trip. 

There  are  no  important  grades  on  this  work,  the 
whole  area  having  previously  been  leveled  by  steam 
shovel.  At  dump  No.  i  it  was  necessary  to  break  the 
train,  leaving  half  the  cars  at  the  switch,  but  this  was 
the  only  place  at  which  any  difficulty  was  experienced. 

Under  "Observations"  it  will  be  noted  that  the 
average  time  for  one  move  and  to  move  forward  one 
foot  are  twice  as  great  on  the  second  day  as  on  the  first. 
This  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  the  machine  was 
moved  further  on  each  move  on  the  first  day  and  that 
the  moves  were  so  frequent  that  the  men  moved  more 

85 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


rapidly,  and  that  there  was  also  less  clearing  of  the 
tracks,  so  that  more  pitmen  could  stay  in  the  pit.  The 
effect  of  these  frequent  moves  is  shown  in  the  num- 
ber of  cars  for  one  shovel  move.  On  the  first  day  it  was 
only  8.6  (average),  while  on  the  second  day,  with  two 
blasts  and  the  bank  caving,  it  was  frequently  49.5,  or 
one  move  for  about  every  five  trains.  The  rate  of  trans- 
portation was  about  a  mile  in  16  minutes. 


Fig. 


[2.     View  of    Shovel   at  Work  on  the  New  Passenger  Storage  Yards  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  at  Long  Island  City 


86 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  13 


Fig.   14.     Views  of  Shovel  at  Work  on  the  New  Passenger  Storage 
Yards  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  at  Long  Island  City 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.   15.     Slide  Blocking  Dinkey  Track 


OBSERVATIONS 

Weight 70  tons 

Gauge 4'  8>^" 

Height  of  lift 6' 

Capacity  of  dipper 2.66  cu.  yds.,  water  measure 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  points 

Height  blocked  up 20" 

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 4 . 1 7  cubic  yards 

Capacity  of  cars,  place  measure 3 . 6  cubic  yards 

Number  of  cars  in  train        9  and  10 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 6' 

Length  of  haul,  approximately 35°°' 

Length  of  runaround,  approximately 9000' 

Weight  of  dinkeys 18  tons 

Style  of  car Side  dump  on  both  sides 

Gauge  of  track Narrow 

Number  of  trains        3 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Average  time  for  a  round  trip  .  27.3  min.  (n  observations) 
Grades,  level  except  slight  ones  near  dumps ;  on  one  grade  the 

train  was  broken 
Time  traveling  to  dump  No.  i       .      .     8  minutes.     (See  sketch) 

Time  traveling  to  dump  No.  2 6  minutes 

Time  traveling  to  dump  No.  3       .  13  minutes 

Time  to  dump  cars  No    i,  broke  train,   14  minutes  for  nine  cars 

Time  to  dump  cars  No.  2 6  minutes  for  ten  cars 

Time  to  dump  cars  No.  3  .....  3  minutes  for  ten  cars 
Time  traveling  from  dump  to  shovel  No.  I  .  .  .  8  minutes 
Time  traveling  from  dump  to  shovel  No.  2  ...  8  minutes 
Weather,  clear 


First  Day 

Second  Day 

Number  of  cars  loaded     . 

190 

396 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 

50  sec. 

39  sec. 

Cubic  yards  excavated 

684 

1426 

Total    distance    moved  forward 

during  day       

130' 

51' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 

22 

8 

Total  time  moving  forward   . 

158^  min. 

107  min. 

Average  time  for  one  move  . 

7.2  min. 

13.4  min. 

Average  time  to  move  forward 

one  foot     

i  .  2  min. 

2  .  i  min. 

Maximum  distance   moved  for- 

ward in  one  move     .... 

8'  3" 

8' 

Average  distance  moved  forward 

each  time   

5'  ii" 

6'  41A" 

vS  wings  per  minute  

3.7(0 

3-7(0 

Average  time  for  one  swing  . 

16.3  sec. 

16.3  sec. 

Time  to  load  i  cubic  foot  with 

dipper    .      . 

.52  sec. 

.40  sec. 

Minutes  per  working   day,   less 

times  for  accidental  delays 

540^  min. 

574#  min. 

Area  of  section  -j 

87  y2  s.  f.  (a.m.) 
500  s.  f.  (p.  m.) 

>  500  s.  f. 

Height  of  face    j 

3  1^'  (a.  m.) 
25'  (p.  m.) 

\   « 

Number  times  blasted  bank  . 

None 

2 

Coal  used      •< 

2.  16  short  tons,  at 
42  Ibs.  per  cu.  ft. 

1    «7 

HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


First  Day 

Second  Day 

Pounds  of  coal  per  cubic   yard 

excavated  

6.32(3) 

3-8 

Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport 

and  spread  one  cubic  yard 

1  6.  1  cents  (2) 

10.81  cents 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel 

move      

8.64 

49-5 

Average  time  between  beginning 

of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 

ginning of  next    .... 

16.94  min. 

80.3  min. 

(1)  The  two  days  were  averaged,  57  observations  taken  at 
different  times. 

(2)  Does  not  include  cost  of  moving  back.      This  should  be 
charged  to  amount  taken  out  before  the  next  move  back  is  made. 

(3)  No  deductions  made  for  moving  back. 


TIME  STUDY 

First  Day  Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  6:58  12:49 

Stopped  work  11:58  5:42/^ 

Min.       Min.  Min. 

Total  time  worked      300 +  293  ^  =  593  ^==9  hours  53^  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working    
Spotting  cars  
\Vaiting  for  cars 

J57 
^8 

15 
30 
1O 

26.5 
O.  I 

6  s; 

Moving    shovel    (158^    minutes 
forward,  106  minutes  back 
Idle,  repairing  boom      .... 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Loosening  bank    
Clearing  track        
Handling  boulders     .... 
Setting  up,  shifting  track,  etc., 
after  moving  back  .... 

264 
53 

5 
ii 

15 

48 

3° 

i5 

30 

"•  3 

44-5 
8.9 

0.8 
1.9 

2.6 
8.2 

Total  time  under  observation 

593 

30 

IOO.O 

90 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct  Labor 
Distribution 
per  Day 

Standard  Basis  —  First  Day 

Prep. 
Charge 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Break- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Runner 
Craneman     . 
Fireman  . 
i  pitman  . 
7  pitmen  . 
i  coalman     . 
3     locomotive 
engineers  . 
3     locomotive 
brakemen 
Switchman 
2  drillers,  l/2  day 
16    laborers, 
moving    back 
i  foreman,  mov- 
ing back   . 
29    laborers, 
moving  back, 
Yz  day      . 
2  foremen,  mov- 
ing  back,    y2 
day 
35    laborers, 
on    3   dumps, 
Y2  day 
3  foremen,  on  3 
dumps,  !4  day 
i      superintend- 
ent .      . 
#4  blacksmiths' 
helpers 
*  i     foreman 
blacksmith     . 

$$  oo 
3.60 

2.40 

.    .    . 

J-75 
10.  so 

.    .    . 

.     .     . 

I.  SO 

$7.80 

4-5° 
1.50 

.    . 

$1.  SO 

.    .    . 

.     .     . 

.    .    . 

$24.00 
2.OO 

21.75 

2.OO 

.  .  . 

$26.25 
^.00 

.     .     . 

$6.00 

IO.OO 

3-5° 

Total     cost     of 
labor  per  day 
Cost    direct    la- 
bor per  cubic 
yard,  cents 
Percent  . 

$49-75 

7.27 
35  9 

$24.75 

3.62 
17.9 

$13-80 

2  O2 
IO.O 

$29.25 

4.28 

21.  I 

$I.50 

O.22 
I.I 

$19.50 

2.85 
14.0 

$I38-55 

2O.26 
IOO.O 

*This  large  blacksmith  force  was  due  to  the  extra  work  caused  by  overhaul- 
ing machinery  as  contract  neared  completion. 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis.     First  Day 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost  per 
Yard 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  waiting  for  blast- 

ers       

20 

15 

3-4 

0.123 

0.123 

Charge  to  loading 

i.    Actual  loading 

157 

15 

26.5 

0.960") 

2.    Delays 

| 

a  Moving  up,  158^'; 
back,  1  06' 

264 

3° 

44-5 

i  .  6  1  o  f 

3-l89 

b    Repairs 

53 

8.9 

0.322  | 

c    Miscellaneous  . 

48 

3° 

8.2 

0.297  J 

Charge      to       transporting 

and  dumping 

i.    Waiting  for  cars 
2     Miscellaneous 

39 
1  1 

6.6 
1.9 

0-239/ 
0.069  f 

0.308 

593 

30 

I  00.0 

3.620 

TIME  STUDY 


Second  Day 


Forenoon 


Afternoon 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Min. 
Total  time  worked  288^ 


7:00  12:40 

11:48^  5:50 

Min.        Min. 

310=  598^  =9  hours  58^  minutes 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working    
Spotting  cars 

259 
Negli 

122 

107 

7 
17 
36 
14 

18 

9 
4 

2 

3° 
gible 
oo 

00 

oo 

00 

30 

00 

3° 
oo 

00 
00 

oo 

43-4 
0.0 

20.4 

17.9 

I  .2 
2.8 

6.1 

2.3 
0.4 

3-0 
1.5 
0.7 
°-3 

Waiting  for  cars       
Moving  shovel     
Idle  time  —  Rain  . 

Repairing  boom    .           ... 

Clearing  track  after  blast    . 
Misc.  time  —  Clearing  bank     . 
Blasting 

Moving  boulders        .... 
Boulder  on  track        .... 
Loosening  bank    
Jacking  up  

Total  time  under  observation 

598 

3° 

100.  0 

HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Direct  Labor 
Distribution  per  Day 

Standard  Basis—  Second  Day 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Break- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Runner       .... 
Craneman 
Fireman      .... 
i  pitman     .... 
8  pitmen     .... 

$5-oo 
3.60 
2.40 
i-75 

12.  OO 

i  coalman 
3   locomotive    en- 
gineers   .... 
3  locomotive  brake- 
men    
i  switchman    . 
4  laborers,  blasting  . 
i  foreman,  blasting  . 
35  laborers,  3  dumps 
3  foremen,  3  dumps 
i   superintendent 

I.50 

$7-80 

4.  co 

I.  ^O 

$6.OO 
2.OO 

.    .    . 

.    .    . 

.  .  . 

$52.50 

6  oo 

.    .    . 

$6.00 

Total  cost   of    labor 
per  day  .... 
Cost    of    labor    per 
cubic  yard,  cents  . 
Per  cent     .... 

$26.25 

1.84 
23-3 

$13.80 

0.97 
12.3 

$58.50 

4.10 
52.0 

$8.00 

0.56 
7-1 

$6.00 

0.42 
5-3 

$112.55 

7.89 
IOO.O 

Process  Analysis 

Ti 

me 

Per 

Cost  per 

Total 

Second  Day 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Yard 

Charge     to     waiting     for 

blasters 

18 

6   A. 

o.  118 

0.118 

Charge  to  loading 

Ju 

y«  T 

i.   Actual  loading     . 

259 

3° 

43-3 

o.796l 

2*.   Delays 

1 

a  Moving  up    . 

107 

17.9 

0.329  *. 

i  .205 

b  Repairs    . 

J7 

0.052 

c    Miscellaneous    . 

9 

.    . 

i*5 

0.028J 

Charge     to      transporting 

and  dumping 

i.    Waiting  for  cars   . 

122 

3° 

20.5 

0.377  I 

Or  T  7 

2.    Miscellaneous 

45 

30 

7-6 

0.140  J 

•  J     / 

Total 

^98 

T.O 

IOO.O 

I  .840 

yyv 

Jw 

93 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


From  the  record  which  follows : 

Average  cubic  yards  excavated  per 

day  during  1908  ....         1705 

Average  cost  direct  labor  per  day       $24.75 

Number  cubic  yards  per  day   .      .          1705 


—  1.45  cts.per  cu.  yd. 


Process  Analysis 
Second  Day's  Observation 
as  Basis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost  per 
Yard 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge     to     waiting     for 

blasters       

38 

6.4 

0.093 

0.093 

Charge  to  loading 

i.    Actual  loading 

2.S9 

30 

43-3 

0.6281 

2.    Delays 

I 

a  Moving  up    . 

I07 

17.9 

o.259  r- 

0.950 

b   Repairs     .     . 

J7 

2.8 

0.041  I 

c    Miscellaneous    . 

9 

1-5 

0.022  J 

Charge      to     transporting 

and  dumping 

i  .    Waiting  for  cars  . 
2.    Miscellaneous 

122 

45 

30 
30 

20.5 
7.6 

0.297    ) 
O.  I  10  f 

0.407 

Total    

598 

3° 

IOO.O 

i-45° 

94 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


It  is  our  understanding  that  the  following  represents  the  out- 
put in  cubic  yards  for  the  year  1908: 


jl 

<-rt 

H 

jj 

11 

i! 

il 

ll 

nj 

3 

d 

g 

^Q 

^H 

§ 

rtf 

I 

a 

fc  6 

I 

|l 

rt 
>—  j 

"rt  uj 

|  g 

j£ 

"rt  M 

0  ^ 

IB 
tj§ 

Is 

>—  i 

o 

2164 

Sun. 

IO 

2765 

2060 

2 

4 

1051 

9 

2419 

IO 

2765 

6 

1224 

3t 

587 

3 

8 

1543 

7 

1490 

9 

2297 

9% 

2549 

Sun. 

1721 

4 

5 

547 

8 

1872 

8% 

1678 

IO 

2895 

IO 

1440 

10 

2052 

5 

Sun. 

8 

1699 

4 

771 

Sun. 

5/^ 

1138 

IO 

1800 

6 

9 

I591 

7 

1476 

IO 

2794 

9 

1685 

10 

1483 

7 

5 

1080 

8 

1843 

IO 

1469 

9 

2462 

rain 

Sun. 

8 

6 

1455 

1% 

1728 

Sun. 

4% 

1210 

91A 

1930 

IO 

2268 

9 

8 

2031 

Sun. 

rain 

IO 

2704 

10 

1908 

2 

216 

IO 

8 

2160 

7 

1498 

9 

2l89 

8% 

1224 

Sun. 

IO 

1462 

ii 

9 

2160 

7 

157° 

IO 

2880 

rain 

86 

IO 

2092 

IO 

2203 

12 

Sun. 

iVz 

MSI 

9^ 

2808 

Sun. 

91A 

2333 

IO 

2020 

13 

6 

I57° 

8 

1804 

m 

2462 

IO 

2048 

IO 

2394 

IO 

l894 

14 

9 

2171 

7 

1440 

10 

2776 

10 

2290 

71A 

1732 

Sun. 

15 

9 

2534 

3 

414 

Sun. 

9 

2160 

5 

1199 

8 

I422 

16 

5 

1354 

Sun. 

9\*2 

2862 

7% 

1836 

IO 

2167 

6 

1181 

17  ' 

8 

2354 

4 

558 

5 

Iigi 

2520 

Sun. 

10 

1976 

18 

9 

2448 

9 

IO 

2491 

9 

2034 

8 

1469 

T9 

Sun. 

snow 

rain 

Sun. 

IO 

2114 

10 

1829 

rain 

20 

39i 

9 

2203 

10 

2444 

9 

2106 

IO 

1728 

21 

1868 

9 

2232 

9 

2056 

9 

2524 

IO 

1987 

Sun. 

22 

3 

371 

8% 

2153 

Sun. 

1% 

1980 

4 

770 

IO 

1800 

23 

8 

1080 

Sun. 

8 

2Ol6 

9 

2419 

IO 

8 

1609 

24 

snow 

9 

2023 

10 

2794 

71A 

1987 

Sun. 

IO 

1584 

25 

7 

986 

9 

2160 

IO 

3000 

7 

1930 

9% 

2028 

9 

1663 

26 

Sun. 

2 

461 

10 

l836 

Sun. 

IO 

2005 

IO 

1714 

27 

8 

1548 

iVi 

1854 

IO 

241 

8X2 

1552 

IO 

2081 

91A 

1512 

28 

6 

1591 

51A 

"95 

IO 

1814 

3 

900 

IO 

2038 

Sun 

29 

8 

2002 

6 

1620 

Sun. 

IO 

2318 

10 

1908 

IO 

1422 

30 

9 

2034 

9% 

2635 

7 

1213 

3 

173 

IO 

1584 

3* 

7 

1714 

9 

2419 

Sun 

Total 

41798 

36447 

^ 

54066 

44461 

40199 

95 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


e 

S2 

to 

S2 

£ 

g 

K^3 

K^ 

&1 

VH 

EH 

u 

EH 

OJ 

EH 

M 

1 

|1 

>? 

|| 

1 

1 

0   %> 

i 

2 

^1 

1 

it 

1 

13  £ 

13  E 

^ 

13  E 

O. 

*rt  E 

o 

Is  ^ 

o 

rt  £ 

1 

2W 

r 

3  y 

w 

3w 

oW 

fc 

lw 

Q 

I 

IO 

1512 

9/2 

I591 

Sun. 

8  3/£ 

1379 

2 

I  ^/o 

205 

Sun. 

7^i 

J35  r 

9^2 

"73 

3 

IO 

1392 

9% 

1246 

•2.% 

674 

8 

1114 

4 

Holiday 

Sun. 

7 

I5I9 

7^ 

1322 

5 

Sun. 

ll/2- 

1250 

6 

1337 

8 

1278 

6 

IO 

T739 

Sun. 

8 

1323 

bl/2 

1029 

Sun. 

7 

9% 

1526 

8K 

2870 

1 

1365 

8 

8 

1426 

6-43 

:533 

Sun. 

71A 

1278 

9 

9% 

1685 

Sun. 

7 

1287 

4^2 

952 

&% 

1728 

IO 

10 

1685 

6.4 

8H 

1148 

63/4 

1728 

1  1 

S3/^ 

1743 

Sun. 

7% 

1239 

8X 

1872 

12 

Sun. 

6 

1354 

blA 

"97 

7^2 

1683 

13 

IO 

2145 

Sun. 

7/^ 

1862 

5% 

1015 

Sun. 

7% 

1692 

7 

1124 

6% 

120^ 

71/? 

1944 

15 

IO 

2149 

1701 

Sun. 

8^ 

2322 

16 

IO 

2162 

Sun. 

8X 

1708 

6 

1029 

6% 

1683 

17 

8 

1940 

8 

1704 

6 

1169 

6% 

1683 

18 

IO 

2315 

Sun. 

6K 

1386 

2^ 

7" 

19 

Sun. 

7^ 

1694 

3/^ 

891 

8/i 

2133 

20 

9K 

1937 

Sun. 

7^ 

1460 

6 

U34 

Sun. 

21 

10 

2189 

1641 

5 

1365 

8J^ 

2133 

22 

9 

1696 

7/^ 

1505 

Sun. 

7/^ 

1944 

23 

1825 

Sun. 

7% 

1537 

5% 

1614 

6^ 

1422 

24 

8% 

1692 

1885 

7 

1683 

25 

4/^ 

709 

8.10 

1407 

6.40 

1851 

26 

Sun. 

9 

6^ 

1620 

27 

8 

1623 

7.20 

1235 

7-05 

1881 

28 

8 

J537 

6V4 

1393 

6.0 

I^OO 

7 

2088 

29 

8% 

1714 

8 

1680 

8 

2088 

3° 

IO 

1811 

Sun. 

7^ 

1687 

1150 

8 

1827 

3i 

1% 

1260 

5^4 

840 

8^ 

2349 

Total    .    . 

43309 

38537 

32895 

40565 

No.  of  Days 

Actual 

,,     ,,         Total  Days     Total  Days 
Month            Worked        in  Month 

Number  of 
Stormy  Days 

could  have 
Worked  Sun. 
Holiday  inc. 

No.  Days 
forked  less 
all  Delays 

*  January    .              26                     31 

! 

26 

21.  IO 

*  February  .              23                      29 
March    .     .             21                     31 

I 

3 

25 
23 

l8.I7 
18.73 

April      .     .              25                     30 

25 

20.65 

May  ...             25                    31 

i 

25 

21.58 

June  ...              25                      30 
July  ...              26                     31 

o 
o 

26 

27 

23.28 
22.38 

August   .     .                i                      31 

26 

September  .                o                     30 

0 

26 

October.     .              25                     31 

o 

27 

18.64 

November  .              25                     30 

o 

25 

13.92 

*December              24                     31 

0 

27 

17-35 

Total      .     .           246                  366 

7 

308 

'<)5.S(, 

*0-hour  days  during  January,  February  and  December 


96 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  9  -  -  SHOVEL  No.   1121 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER  4  AND  7,  1909 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 

SHOVEL  This  is  a  70  C  shovel  located  near  Western 
Avenue  and  Thirty-fifth  Street,  Chicago,  111., 
owned  by  John  W.  Farley,  and  employed  in  digging  a 
sewer  trench.  It  is  new  and  of  the  latest  design.  Its 
distinguishing  features  are  the  location  of  the  operat- 
ing levers,  those  being  placed  about  five  feet  outside 
the  shovel  housing,  as  shown  in  the  sketch ;  the  long 
clipper  handle ;  and  the  support  upon  which  the  shovel 
rests.  The  operating  levers  are  placed  outside  of  the 
shovel  house,  in  order  that  the  operator  may  have  an 
unobstructed  view  of  the  bottom  of  the  trench.  The 
dipper  handle  is  54  feet  long,  so  that 
it  can  reach  into  the  deep  trench, 
which  wras  26x16  feet.  Both  it  and 
the  boom  are  made  of  wood  and  are 
steel  plated.  The  supporting  structure 
consists  of  the  truss  arrangement 
shown  in  the  Bucyrus  catalog.  The 
shovel  is  taken  off  its  trucks  and 
placed  on  this  structure,  rollers  being  used  to  move  it 
backward  and  forward. 

The  shovel  crew  consisted  of  engineer,  craneman,  fire- 
man and  seven  rollermen.  -There  were  also  employed 
six  trimmers,  six  bracers  and  one  foreman  following 
the  digging. 

To  move  the  shovel  backward  or  forward,  a  cable, 
hauled  on  by  the  main  engines,  was  led  out  to  a  "  dead 
man."  By  actual  timing  the  shovel  was  moved  back 
416  feet  in  3}^  hours. 

Two  days  were  spent  in  observing  this  shovel.  On 
the  first  day  the  top  soil  to  a  depth  of  10  feet  was 

97 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


removed  and  on  the  second  day  the- remaining  depth 
of  26  feet  was  taken  out.  As  the  shovel  excavates 
the  trimmers  follow  it,  trimming  down  the  sides  for 
the  bracers  who  follow  with  the  sheeting.  Two  I- 
beams  about  50  feet  long  are  placed  as  shown  in  the 

sketch,  so  that 
when  the  next 
bench  is  taken 
out  and  it  is 
necessary  to 
draw  the  braces 
the  I-beams  hold 
the  sheeting  and 
the  shovel  works 
between  the  jack  screws.  When  the  shovel  moves 
forward  the  jack  screws  are  slightly  loosened  and  the  I- 
beams  are  attached  to  the  shovel  and  hauled  forward 
with  it,  the  wooden  bracing  being  placed  behind  the 
I-beams.  This  being  a  new  shovel  there  have  been  no 
repairs. 


A 

3 

1 
i 

V 

STEEL  I  BEAMS 
~~\J-                                     '  — 

s^ 

1EETING 

f 

_j 

/ 
JACK    SCREW 
SPACED   20'  =t 

PLANT  ARRANGEMENT     The    sketch   shows   the  ar- 
rangement.   Some  cars  were 

hauled  out  on  the  main  line  to  a  dump  some  distance 
away.  Therefore  both  narrow  and  standard  gauge  tracks 
were  necessary.  On  both  days  of  the  observation  the 
dump  was  as  indicated  on  the  sketch,  this  being  back- 
filling. Eighteen-ton  dinkeys  were  used  and  standard 
gauge  and  narrow  gauge  cars  of  six  and  four-yard  capac- 
ity respectively.  The  average  time  for  a  round  trip  on 
the  first  day  was  19.8  minutes  (28  observations),  and  on 
the  second  day  was  16.8  minutes  (22  observations). 

The  concrete  mixer  was  on  a  platform  similar  to 
that  upon  which  the  shovel  was  placed.  This  follows 
behind  the  shovel, 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

COST  KEEPING     The  contractor  keeps  accurate  unit 
costs   but    does    not    give    outside 
information,  so  that  these  could  not  be  obtained. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2  yards  water  measure 

Height  of  lift      .     .    35'  ±  from  bottom  of  trench  to  top  of  cars 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel 

Length  of  boom 36' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 54' 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 12.4' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 30^  ' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 50' 

Diameter  of  bull  wheel 8' 

Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  pivot 24' 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) 42" 

Depth  of  dipper  including  lip        60" 

Depth  of  dipper  including  teeth 70" 

Number  of  cars  loaded 126  (48,  6- yard;  78,  4-yard) 

Cubic  yards  excavated  (place  measure) 569 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 60' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 4 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move    .     .     .      16'  8" 
Average    time    between    beginning    of    one    shovel    move   and 

beginning  of  next .     142.  3  minutes. 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 31 

Area  of  section 256  square  feet 

Height  of  face 16' 

Weather,  clear. 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:00  I2:57 

Stopped  work  12:00  5:59 

Min.          Min.         Min. 
Total   time   worked,   300   +    302  =  602=  10  hours  2  minutes. 

99 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Minutes 


-Seconds 


Per  Cent 


Actual  working 270  30  44-9 

Spotting  cars i  30  0.3 

Waiting  for  cars 138  .  .               22.9 

Moving  shovel 135  .  .               22.4 

Time  idle 

Boulder  in  bucket  ....  2  .  0.3 

Waiting  for  men  to  dig  out 

a  little  on  sides  ....  5  .  .                 0.8 

Repairing  braces     ....  2  .  .                 0.3 

Removing  bracing       ...  32  .  .                  5.4 
Miscellaneous    delay,  moving 

cross  bracing 16 

Total  time  under  observation  602  .  .              100.0 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading) 

Runner $5.00 

Craneman 3. 60 

Fireman 2.40 

7  rollermen 10.50 

$21.50 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  excavation,  569. 
Cost  of  labor  per  day  $21    qo 

;r; r r~- r~ \ = ^-=3-78  cts.  per  cubic  yard. 

Number  cubic  yards  per  day         569 


Process  Analysis 


Time 


Min.      Sec. 


Per 

Cent 


Cost  per 

Yard  in 

Cents 


Total 
Cost 

Cents 


Charge  to  loosening  and 

breaking 

Charge  to  loading 

1.  Actual  loading      .     . 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up 
b  Miscellaneous 
Charge  to  transporting  and 

Dumping 

i .  Waiting  for  cars  .     . 


55* 
270 


139 


3° 


9.2 
44-9 


0.348 
1.698 


oo 
oo 


3° 


22.4 
0-3 


0.846 

O.OII 


0.877 


0.348 


2.555 


0.877 


602 


I  00.0 


3.780 


*Fifty  minutes  of  this  time  was  required  for  the  braces.     Repairing  (2  min- 
utes); to  remove  (32  minutes);  and  to  arrange  (16  minutes). 


IOO 


HANDBOOK    O  Y    S  T^A  M  J  ^8  tt  O  V'K  LJ  j  W  OJR  1C 


Dipper  Performance 

Mini- 
mum 

Average 

Maxi- 
mum 

Number 
Obs. 

No.  At- 
tempts 

Digging       ...      1  Time 

3y2 

9-7 

18 

15 

15 

Swinging  loaded  .       1      -n 

4% 

6.5 

12 

13 

Swinging  empty  .       |    Sec 

3 

7-9 

II 

IO 

Falling  empty       .      J 

4 

5-1 

7 

9 

•    • 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one 

dipperful     

I5# 

29.2 

48 

•  • 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Seconds    .... 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  Obs. 

23/2 

28.9 

35 

9 

'III  [Jill  l/ll  ill 


Fig.  16.     Shovel  No.  1121 
IOI 


H  A  N  D  E  6  O  K    O  F    S T  E  A  M     SHOVEL    WORK 


*i^ 

!*!> 

1  a 


102 


H  A  N'D  BOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Figs.  17  and  18.     Bucyrus  Shovel  on  Western  Avenue  Sewer,  Chicago,  111. 
103 


H  A  N  I)  BOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  L    W  O  R  K 

CHAPTER    VII 

STEAM    SHOVEL    WORK    IN    CLAY 

Clay  is  more  susceptible  to  moisture  than  any  of  the 
other  materials  considered  in  this  volume.  It  will  stand 
with  a  nearly  vertical  face  before  excavation  and  can 
be  dug  very  readily  when  fairly  dry.  When  rather 
wet  it  is  sticky  and  offers  great  resistance  to  the  lifting 
motion  of  the  bucket.  With  a  powerful  engine  this  is 
of  no  great  disadvantage,  since  the  resistance  is  smooth 
and  does  not  rack  the  boom  and  shipper  shaft.  In  the 
pit,  -however,  the  discomfort  attendant  upon  working  in 
this  wet  material  is  very  considerable.  To  handle  it 
wet  with  hand  shovels  is  laborious,  as  it  sticks  to  the 
bowl  of  the  shovel  and  tries  to  take  the  shovel  and  the 
shoveler  with  it  when  cast.  A  hole  or  two  punched  in 
the  bowl  will  often  afford  much  relief  to  the  men.  This 
material  containing  practically  no  voids,  is  very  heavy, 
and,  owing  to  its  stiffness,  a  large  amount  in  compari- 
son with  sand  or  gravel  can  be  loaded  upon  a  car.  Ton 
for  ton,  it  is  economical  to  transport  for  this  reason. 
In  wet  weather  it  is  apt  to  cling  like  flypaper  to  the 
car  and  delay  the  dumping  operation.  When  handled 
with  a  toothed  dipper  it  is  liable  to  get  between  the  teeth 
in  chunks  and  cling  to  them  when  dumping  into  the  car, 
so  that  only  a  portion  of  the  dipper  load  is  released  for 
each  swing.  This  is  very  irritating  to  the  men  and 
expensive  to  the  management. 

REPORT  No.  11  —  SHOVEL  No.  1119 

INSPECTED  JULY   15,  1909 
KENT,  OHIO 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      This    shovel    was     working 

less  than  a  mile  from  No. 
1118,*    on    the    same    contract,    with,    however,    some 

*See  page  49. 

104 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

difference  in  the  nature  of  the  material  handled.  The 
same  general  methods  were  in  use  by  Mr.  Hengst  and 
the  same  general  efficiency  was  observable. 


-101  >!<  — 27 - — 

Typical  Cross  Section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Material — Clay  mixed  with  sand  with  occasional  sand 
pockets.  When  dry  could  be  handled  easily  but  when 
wet  it  was  very  gummy  and  stuck  in  dipper  badly. 
Some  quick  sand. 

Type  of  shovel 70  C  Bucyrus 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth        Rock 

Height  of  lift         8' 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel 6"  x  8"  x  8' 

Size  of  bucket 2^  yards 

Age  of  shovel 2  months 

Duration  of  job     .      .      .     .  •- 4 Y2  months 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day         i 

Coal  is  handled  by  team ;  water  piped  direct  to  shovel. 

Repairs  are  made  on  shovel  as  needed  and  at  night.      Extra 

repair  parts  kept  in  stock  for  emergency.      Made  by  crew 

and  boilermaker. 

Coal  used         3  tons  in  10  hours 

Water  used 35°°  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  once  a  month. 

Cost  of  repairs Repairs  made  on  job 

105 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS  —  Continued 

Contract  price        ....  .     25c.  per  yard  in  embankment 

(which  includes  embankment) 
Narrow  gauge  3'  track,  55-pound  rail. 

Kind  and  size  of  cars  used K.  &  J.,  4-yard 

Dinkey  braked  by  steam ;  cars  by  hand. 

Hand  signals  used;  brakeman  standing  on  shovel. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey Vulcan,  i6-ton 

Length  of  haul Max.  2700',  min.  2000 

Number  of  trains 2 — 12  cars 

Age  of  cars  and  dinkey 4^  months 

Weather,  fair 

Cars  figure  4^  yards  each  according  to-  this  record 
and  monthly  estimate  for  first  three  months. 

This  shovel  cut  into  right  of  way  for  several  days  and 
was  then  turned  into  borrow  pit.  The  preparatory  cost 
of  cutting  into  right  of  way  was  $400  and  to  cut  into 
borrow  pit  $1200  more.  Shovel  was  delayed  from  May 
1 9th  to  May  26th,  on  account  of  right  of  way  difficul- 
ties. Total  preparatory  costs  and  cost  of  delay  were 
said  to  be  $3000. 

In  general,  remarks  on  No.  .1118  will  apply  to  No. 
1119,  as  they  are  managed  in  exactly  the  same  way. 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 
Total  time  worked 
2^  minutes. 

TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 
10:25 
11:27:45 
62  #  +299^  =  362^ 

Afternoon 
11:57:00 

'  minutes  = 

6  hours 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  
Spotting  cars  
Waiting  for  cars 

229 
60 

42 
^O 

63.4 
IQ    I 

Moving  shovel  
Miscellaneous  delays  .  .  . 

49 
13 

18 

55 

13.6 

3-9 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

362 

15 

IOO.O 

106 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


From  the  records  which  follow  : 

Number    of   carloads    excavated    per  day  (average  of  36  days) 
380  @  4%  yards. 

Cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  (average  of  36  days)  380 x  4.25  x. 90* 
=  1450  cubic  yards. 

£   Place  measure 
*o.  90= ratio  of  — 

Water  measure 

Standard  Basis 


Per  Day 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Runner      
Craneman 

$5  oo 

T.    6O 

Fireman    
4  pitmen    
Dump  foreman  .... 

2.40 

6.00  • 

2   OO 

7  dumpmen    
2  brakemen    

1,  OO 

10.  50 

2  dinkeymen       .... 
i  pipeman      
i  watchman  

5.20 

.    .    . 

i-50 

1-50 

Total  cost  of  direct  labor 
per  day       
Cost   per   day   per    cubic 
yard  (cts)    
Per  cent    

$17.00 

1.17 
41.6 

$8.20 

0.57 
20.3 

$12.50 

0.86 
30.6 

$3.00 
O.2I 

7-5 

$40  .  70 
2.81 

IOO.O 

Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading     . 

220. 

42 

63.4 

0.742! 

2.  Delays 

I 

a  Moving  up     . 

49 

18 

13-6 

O.IS9  I 

0.946 

b  Miscellaneous 

13 

55 

3-9 

Q.045J 

Charge     to      transporting 
and  dumping 

i.    Waiting  for  cars 

69 

20 

19.1 

0.224 

0.224 

362 

i5 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

I.I70 

107 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


|N  umber 
nt 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Time  Study  Deductions 

Ul 

Obser- 

vations 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving  up, 

shovel  idle 

16 

2 

15 

3 

5 

4 

25 

Time  between  moves, 

shovel  working  . 

16 

IO 

IO 

T3 

29 

15 

25 

Time   between  trains, 

idle        

16 

3 

3° 

4 

20 

5 

15 

Time  per  dipper     . 

14 

19 

21 

23 

Number     of     dippers 

per  move 

16 

26 

36 

42 

Number     of     dippers 

per  train    .... 

23 

25 

27 

3° 

Number     of     dippers 

per  car      .... 

230 

^/4 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds 29,160 

Coal  consumption,  pounds       6,000 


=  4.86 


108 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


hau/ 


of 


etri     rewe  curre    vas  /recessary 
of  oft  Affer  flfrf  erf  f/r*s  ci/r#f  -#*J  fe 


^ 

| 

coal  ';[ 

^  .:b 

i 

il 
/; 

*' 

.i 

* 

X., 

S 

voter 


LA  your 


font  Ohio 


109 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


: 


Figs    1 9  and  20.     Bucyrus  Shovel  Loading  Clay  and  Sand  on  W.  and 
L.   E.  R.  R.  Kent,  Ohio 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT    No.   12 --SHOVEL    No.  843 

INSPECTED  JULY   10,  1909 
CLEVELAND,  OHIO 

LOCATION     Shovel  No.  843  was  working  during  July 
on  a  deep  cut  on  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S.  cut- 
off   south    of    Cleveland,    Ohio,    where    the    line    runs 
through  Brooklyn. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      The  finished   cut  is    to    be 

for   a    four-track    line    and 

the  bench  on  which  the  shovel  was  working  at  the  time 
was  within  3  feet  of  finished  sub-grade.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  cut  the  excavation  was  to  grade  and  one 
cut  more  was  needed  on  the  middle  bench  to  finish  the 
work.  The  remaining  3  feet  to  the  sub-grade,  on  the 
north  side  was  to  be  taken  out  by  hand.  A  complete 
cross  section  at  the  time  of  observation  is  given  in  the 
illustration. 

The  shovel  was  to  go  through  the  cut  once  more  on 
the  center  line,  or  a  little  to  the  left  of  it,  so  as  to  take 
the  7 -foot  heading  to  grade,  and  as  much  of  the  3-foot 
cut  on  the  north  side  as  possible. 

CREW  The  entire  shovel  force  consisted  of  the  shovel 
engineer,  craneman  and  fireman,  six  pitmen, 
and  one  coal  passer.  Transportation  force  consisted 
of  three  crews  of  three  men  each.  There  were  no 
extra  men  engaged  in  any  capacity  about  the  shovel, 
no  pipe  men,  extra  pitmen  to  look  after  drainage, 
drillers  or  blasters. 

MATERIAL  The  material  was  dry  clay  and  disinte- 
grated shale.  When  the  dipper  was  run 
into  the  bank  the  material  broke  up  into  fine  flake 
spalls  almost  like  small  shells,  and  as  it  was  perfectly 
dry  it  could  be  handled  with  the  utmost  ease.  When 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  shovel  was  near  the  bank  after  moving  up,  the 
dipper  could  penetrate  to  half  its  depth  by  inertia  alone 
before  the  crowding  engine  was  started,  thus  insuring 
a  full  dipper  at  every  swing  even  though  it  might  be 
brought  but  half  way  up  by  the  hoisting  engine.  The  dip- 
per was  dumped  easily  and  was  completely  emptied  at 
each  dumping.  When  an  attempt  was  made  to  heap  a 
car,  material  was  almost  sure  to  be  lost,  as  it  was  so  light 
and  flaky  and  so  lacked  cohesion  that  it  would  run  over 
the  side.  For  the  same  reason  the  dipper  had  to  be 
spotted  very  carefully  before  it  was  dumped. 

In  spite  of  whatever  care  the  shovel  runner  exercised 
in  dumping  his  dipper  and  the  brakeman  in  spotting  his 
cars,  the  track  had  to  be  cleaned  after  each  train  pulled 
out.  This,  of  course,  was  done  by  the  pitmen,  and  often, 
when  moving  up  occurred  between  trains,  they  were 
able  to  get  the  track  clear  and  look  after  their  regular 
duties  as  well. 

MOVING  UP  When  moving  up  the  shovel,  a  2-inch 
pipe  was  used  to  swing  the  jack  blocks 
clear  of  the  ground  instead  of  the  ordinary  wooden  pole. 
This  pipe  was  held  in  a  bracket  attached  to  the  jack 
arm  and  had  a  collar  about  4  inches  from  its  end,  which 
kept  the  chain  that  suspended  the  jack  block  from 
slipping  along  the  pipe.  This  pipe  was  held  by  the 
bracket  and  was  always  in  place,  there  being  little 
danger  of  its  breaking  or  splitting,  as  is  often  the  case 
with  wooden  poles. 

SUPPLIES  All  supplies  were  brought  to  the  shovel  by 
dump  trains.  Water  was  carried  in  the 
tender  (the  dump  engines  were  standard  railroad  loco- 
motives) and  a  4-inch  rubber  hose  was  run  from  the 
tender  to  the  water  tank  of  the  shovel  and  the  water 
siphoned  over.  This  always  caused  some  slight  delay 
with  every  second  or  third  train.  Coal  was  shoveled 

112 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

by  hand  to  the  pit  behind  the  shovel.  Thence  it  was 
carried  in  bushel  baskets  by  a  laborer  who  had  rigged 
a  gang  plank  with  cleats  at  the  back  of  the  shovel.  He 
dumped  the  coal  on  the  extension  platform  back  of  the 
boiler. 


TRANSPORTATION     The    average    haul    was    about 
three    miles    over    very    rough 

track.  Three  standard  railroad  locomotives  were  used. 
The  cars  were  the  most  modern  type  of  Western  "  air 
dumps  "  of  12  yards  capacity.  They  were  built  in  two 
sizes,  there  being  40  cars  with  bodies  18  feet  9  inches 
long  and  five  cars  with  bodies  26  feet  in  length.  All 
were  double  truck,  two-side  dumps  with  wooden  bodies. 
Trains  were  composed  of  15  cars  each.  Ten  men 
worked  on  the  dump.  The  material  was  unloaded  on 
one  side  over  a  bank  about  40  feet  high.  When  the 
track  was  not  near  the  edge  of  the  bank  a  spreader 
was  used.  This  consisted  of  a  steel  scraper  plate  with 
one  end  hinged  on  the  trucks  of  a  flat  car  and  the 
outer  end  supported  by  a  line  from  a  block  on  the  floor 
of  the  car.  The  spread  and  depth  of  cut  could  be 
regulated  by  one  man  on  the  car,  but  often  the  operator 
of  the  spreader  was  helped  by  the  brakeman  of  the  train. 
The  regular  dump  train  engine  was  used  in  operating 
the  spreader. 


Typical  Cross  Section 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS 


Shovel 

Distance  of  move 
Kind  of  teeth         .     .      . 
Height  of  cars  above  rail, 
Shovel  track  to  load  track 
Size  of  ties  under  shovel 
Size  of  bucket 
Age  of  shovel 


yo-ton  Bucyrus 

...          6' 

Standard  earth 

7'  and  7'  6" 
...          4' 
.    6"  x  8"  x  8' 
2l/2  yards 
3  years 


to  2^  tons  per  day 
6000  gallons  per  day 


Duration  of  job  to  date,  3  years  2  months;  to  be  finished  in  6 

weeks  from  July  10,  1909. 
Length  of  shift      ............         10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day    ...........  i 

Repairs  are  made  on  shovel  as  needed. 
Coal  used    ......... 

Water  used      ......... 

Boiler  cleaned  every  two  weeks. 

Standard  gauge  track;   55-pound  rails. 

Train  is  braked  by  air. 

Hand  signals  used  ;  brakeman  on  top  of  loaded  car. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey     .....         Standard  locomotive 

Length  of  haul  ........        Said  to  be  3  miles 

Number  of  trains       .........     3  of  15  cars  each 

Weather,  fair,  very  warm 


Note. — The  bank  was  dry  and  the  pit  seemed  to  need  no 
draining.  Material  was  easy  to  handle,  and  a  much  larger  dipper 
could  have  been  used.  Four-yard  cars  had  been  employed 
previous  to  the  1 2-yard  cars  and  it  was  found  that  two  swings  of 
a  2^ -yard  dipper  filled  these  cars  completely;  seven  swings  of  a 
2  Vi  -yard  dipper  filled  the  1 2-yard  cars  completely  Pit  crew 
was  composed  of  rather  green  men.  The  runner  said  he  could 
move  up  in  i  or  i  ^  minutes  in  such  a  pit  with  a  good  crew. 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 

9:25:30 

11:35:00 


Min.     Sec.  Min. 

Total  time  worked  129     30     +     267 

36  minutes  40  seconds. 


Afternoon 
12:30:15 


Sec. 
10 


=     6     hours 


114 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

228 

c 

C7    c 

Spotting  cars  
Changing  trains  
Moving  shovel  
Shovel  taking  water  .... 
Miscellaneous  delays 

36 

112 

8 
ii 

2O 

5° 
25 

9.1 
28.3 

2.2 
2.9 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

396 

40 

100.  0 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  Per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner                                              .           

$z  oo 

Craneman                                           

3.60 

Fireman                                       

2    40 

9.OO 

I  .  5O 

$21.50 

Number  of  carloads  excavated  on  day  of  observation     .     .     90 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation,  90  x  12  x  0.83  =  900 

Based  on  the  performance  observed  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per 

lo-hour  day  =  900  x  600  minutes  •=.  1360  cubic  yards. 

396%  minutes 

Cost  of  labor  per  day     .     .  21.50 

^ r T r~. ~\ j — = — 2 — —  i  •  S§c.  Per  cubic  yard. 

Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day      1360 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Cost  per 
Cubic  Yard 

Total 
Cost  per 

Min. 

Sec. 

in  Cents 

Yard 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

228 

5 

57.5 

o  .  908  •) 

2.  Delays 

s 

a  Moving  up    -  ... 

112 

2O 

28.3 

0-447   I 

1  -43 

b  Miscellaneous 

2O 

15 

o.o8ij 

Charge    to    transportation 

and  dumping 

T.   Waiting  for  cars    . 

36 

9.1 

0.144 

0.144 

\  '  - 

396 

40 

100.  0 

1.580 

HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Number 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Time  Study  Deductions 

of 
Obser- 

1 

vations 

Min 

Sec. 

Min 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time   of    moving   up, 

shovel  idle     . 

31 

2 

IO 

2 

51 

3 

5° 

Time  between  moves, 

shovel  working 

37 

3 

2O 

6 

16 

i3 

55 

Time  between  trains  . 

6 

2 

6 

9 

30 

Time  per  train  loading 

6 

38 

OI 

Time  per  dipper    .     . 

26 

14.2 

17.9 

22.2 

Number  of  dippers  to 

move    

31 

12 

18.7 

23 

Number  of  dippers  to 

train      

6 

114.5 

Number  of  dippers  to 

car        

90 

7-6 

.  . 

Number  of  trains 

loaded       .... 

6. 

Number  of  cars  loaded 

90. 

Cars  per  train   .      .     . 

IS- 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 


Water  consumption,  pounds  _          50,000 
Coal  consumption,  pounds      ~  5,000  to  5,500 


=  10.0-9.1 


116 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEJAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Fig.  21.     Bucyrus  Shovel    at  Work  in  Deep  Cut  on  the  L.  S.  and 
M.  S.  R.  R.  South  of  Cleveland 


\, 


Spreader  Used  for  Pushing  Material  over  Bank 
117 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT  No.   13  -  -  SHOVEL  No.  666 

INSPECTED  JULY   17,  1909 
KENT,  OHIO 

LOCATION     This  work  is  part  of  that  undertaken  for 
correction  of  line  on  the  W.  &  L.  E.  R.  R. 
near  Kent,  Ohio,  J.  R.  Dewitt,  Manager. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      The  shovel  had  been  work- 
ing only  three  days  and  on 

the  day  of  inspection  was  still  cutting  in.  The  cut  was 
a  "  through,"  and  for  the  purpose  of  getting  material  for 
a  large  fill  on  the  job.  At  this  point  the  ground  had 
been  wooded  and  because  of  old  stumps,  tree  roots,  etc., 
digging  was  rather  slow.  The  inexperience  of  the  pit- 
men also  caused  some  delays. 

MOVING  SHOVEL     Before  cutting  in,  this  shovel  was 
moved    1600    feet.        The  shovel 

crew,  1 6  men,  foreman  and  i  team  were  engaged  in 
this  work  for  8  hours,  at  a  total  cost  of  $34.00  or  2.12 
cents  per  foot  moved. 


iK  

1!     \ 

~7iT 

/li 

/  ii 

'-er      *'     ->W-                                                        «n' 

7'     • 

Typical  Cross  Section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Material,  clay  and  loam  with  many  stumps. 

Shovel 7O-ton  Bucyrus 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Heavy  earth 

118 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Height  of  lift,  cars  6'  o"  ;  shovel  track  to  loading  track,  6'   6"; 

total  12'  6". 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel 6"x8"x8/  o" 

Size  of  bucket         2%  yards 

Age  of  shovel 5  years 

Duration  of  job 60,000  yards  to  be  excavated 

Length  of  shift        10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

Supplies  are  handled  as  follows:  coal,  by  wagon;  water,  piped. 
Repairs  are  made  as  needed. 

Coal  used 3  y2  tons  per  shift 

Cost  of  repairs  not  known,  but  $4000  to  $5000  should  be  spent, 

as  condition  is  bad. 

Contract  price 4oc.  for  excavation 

Contract  including  excavation. 

Three  working  days;  no  rainy  days  since  starting. 

Track,  narrow  gauge,  36",   3o-pound. 

Size  of  car  used 4  yards 

Car  is  braked  by  hand;  dinkey  by  steam. 
Hand  signals  used. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey Vulcan,   16  tons 

Length  of  haul        1000'  plus 

Number  of  trains 2 

Weather,  fair,  warm. 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Total  time  worked 
22  seconds. 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 

9:00:35 

10:47:35 


Afternoon 

12:30:00 

5:04:22 


Min.          Min.     Sec. 

107    +   274     22  —  6  hours   21    minutes 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

14.^ 

24. 

^7    6 

Waiting  for  cars    .     .     .     . 
Moving  shovel       
Pulling  track 

83 

97 

c  i 

31 

57 

A  C 

21.9 

25-7 
11  6 

Miscellaneous  delays 

4 

45 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

38i 

22 

IOO.O 

119 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  Per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner  working 

>$r    no 

Crane  man 

->    60 

Fireman  .... 

J  -uu 

~~>    AO 

6  pitmen 

9  oo 

$20.00 

Number  of  cars  loaded  on  day  of  observation    .   189  A  4  yards. 
Cubic  yards   loaded  on  day  of  observation       .      189  *  4  =  756. 
Based  on  performance  observed,  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  lo-hour 
600  min. 

day  =  756  X  /       //    ==   1190- 


Cost  of  labor  per  day     .      . 
Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day 


$20  oo 


=  '  •  68c"  Per  cubic  yarcL 


Time 

Per 

Cost  per 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

H3 

24 

37-6 

0-632! 

2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up 

Q7 

S7 

25.7 

0.432  f" 

I.084 

b  Miscellaneous  delays 

4 

45 

I  .2 

O.02O) 

Charge    to    transportation 

and  dumping 

I.  Waiting  for  cars 
2.  Miscellaneous  delays 

83 

51 

31 

45 

21.9 
13-6 

0.368  ) 
0.228  J 

0.596 

38i 

22 

IOO.O 

.     .     . 

1.  680 

120 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME  STUDY  DEDUCTIONS 


Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time  of    moving    up, 

shovel  idle 

H 

3 

15 

7 

00 

12 

5 

Time  between  moves, 

shovel  working 

16 

6 

5° 

8 

58 

II 

5 

Time  between  trains  . 

19 

2 

10 

4 

24 

6 

45 

Time  per  train,  loading 

27 

4 

5 

5 

JQ 

8 

55 

Time  per  dipper    .     . 

16 

o 

19.0 

o 

21.6 

o 

31.2 

Number    of    dippers, 

per  move 

16 

20 

25 

33 

Number     of    dippers, 

per  train    . 

27 

14 

14.8 

17 

Number    of     dippers, 

per  car 

2.  II 

.  . 

Number      of       trains 

loaded       .... 

. 

27 

.  . 

Number  of  cars  loaded 

.    . 

I89 

Cars  per  train   . 

.   .   . 

7 

•• 

121 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


•Shone/ 


* 

U  fl 


Coa) 


O    wafer 


Tivo  fraiffJ.  l#fi//e   one  />  /oat///yf  f/re 
/s  a?  dump.  jLoodeJ  fra/#   tra/ti  o» 
for  e#7/>firs  fa    co/rre  Jro/rr    dump 


TRACK 


122 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.   14 --SHOVEL  No.  1 128 

INSPECTED  OCTOBER  4,  1909 
BUHL,  MINN.     IN  THE  ORE  REGION 

LOCATION     No.  1128  is  a  950  Bucyrus  shovel,  owned 
by  Butler  Brothers,  stripping  contractors. 
At  present  it  is  engaged  with  No.  517   in  stripping  in 
the  Grant  mine  (see  p.  154). 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS  The  character  of  the  strip- 
ping was  such  that  no  ma- 
chine, however  powerful,  could  handle  all  of  it  without 
some  hesitation  and  straining.  The  cut  was  a  side  one 
and  some  30  feet  in  height,  of  which  the  upper  17  feet 
were  composed  of  a  mixture  of  earth  and  clay  contain- 
ing just  sufficient  moisture  to  cause  it  to  stick  like  mo- 
lasses candy  to  the  inside  of  the  bucket,  filling  up  the 
spaces  between  the  teeth  and  decreasing  their  penetrative 
power,  at  the  same  time  reducing  the  capacity  of  the  dipper 
to  such  an  extent  that  frequent  stops  had  to  be  made  to 
clean  out  the  bucket.  This  was  done  by  two  of  the 
pitmen  equipped  with  small  scraper  and  shovel.  Such 
was  the  character  of  the  upper  part  of  the  cut.  This 
was  very  discouraging  material  to  work  in,  but  caused 
no  straining  on  the  part  of  the  shovel.  The  lower  part 
of  the  cut  was  a  nearly  solid  mass  of  boulders,  which 
were  imbedded  in  the  clay.  Being  round  in  shape,  they 
offered  scant  grip  for  the  teeth  of  the  dipper,  which 
would  slide  over  them  and  bury  itself  in  the  softer  ma- 
terial above.  As  might  be  expected,  this  strain  on  the 
shovel  was  severe.  Frequently  nests  of  large  boulders 
were  encountered,  which  were  picked  up  and  tossed  to 
one  side  to  be  later  broken  with  powder.  In  such 
material  the  teeth  had  to  be  replaced  weekly  and  some- 
times semi-weekly. 

123 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

SHOVEL  This  shovel  was  equipped  with  tandem  hoist- 
ing sheaves.  The  jacks  could  be  swung 
inward,  and  the  screws  were  operated,  one  by  a  wheel 
and  the  other  by  a  bar  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  top 
of  the  screw.  In  the  afternoon  the  large  pin  that  fastens 
the  upper  portion  of  the  dipper  to  its  handle  failed  as  a 
result  of  the  hard  usage  due  to  the  boulders.  Four 
men  and  the  runner  replaced  it  in  1 1  minutes  and  1 5 
seconds. 


K--9'- 


24 '— 

Typical  Cross  Section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Distance  of  move         5^' 

Kind  of  teeth Rock 

Size  of  ties 6"  x  7" 

Height  of  lift n'  3" 

Size  of  bucket 3  yards 

Age  of  shovel New  May,  1909 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts,  per  day 2 

Coal  is   dumped  from  one  of  the  dump  cars  and  then  carried 
onto  the  shovel  by  a  workman. 


124 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Water  is  supplied  from  a  tank  on  a  low  hill  near  by. 

Repairs  are  made  by  the  day  crew  on  Sunday,  who  get  no  extra 

money. 

Coal  used 2^  and  3  tons  in  10  hours 

f  Black,  5  gallons  in  24  hours 

..          ,  J  Cylinder,  5  gallons  in  24  hours 

'  1  Kerosene,  2^  gallons  a  night 

[Gasolene,  20  gallons  a  night 

Lighting   is   furnished   at  night  by  four  gasolene  torches,  each 

holding  2/^  gallons,  and  by  eight  kerosene   oil  burners   or 

torches. 

Water  used 12,800  gallons  in  24  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  second  Sunday. 

Standard  gauge  track;  55-pound  rails. 

Russell    Wheel    and    Foundry    7-yard    dump    car   used;    water 

measure. 

Engine  braked  by  air. 
Hand  signals  used. 
Kind  and  size  of  dinkey  .     .     .     Baldwin  locomotives,  5o-ton± 

Length  of  haul about  j^-mile 

Number  of  trains 2 

The  locomotive  new  July,  1909. 

Shovel  has  been  on  the  present  work  since  coming  out  of  shop. 

New  May,  1909.     Moved  forward  33  feet  during  day. 

Height  of  car  above  rail ?'  3" 

Slope  is  slightly  under  cut  and  overhanging  at  top.     Side  cut. 
Teeth  have  to  be  replaced  once  a  week  and  sometimes  more 

often. 

Extra  small  parts  such  as  bolts  and  nuts  are  kept  on  the  shovel. 
Larger  duplicate   parts  are  kept  on  hand  at  the   Butler  Bros. 

shops  about  9  miles  away. 

Shovel  was  working  down  hill  but  cut  was  dry. 
The  track   layout  for  this  shovel  and  No.   517  will  be   given 

together  under  No.  517  (p.  154). 
Weather,  clear  and  cool. 

TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  6:56:00  12:53:45 

Stopped  work  12:01:00  5:56:25 

Min.        Min.     Sec. 

Total  time  worked         305  +  302     40     =   10  hours  7  minutes 
40  seconds. 

125 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

367 

35 

60.4 

Waiting  for  cars    . 

103 

45 

I7.I 

Moving  shovel 

49 

40 

8.2 

Miscellaneous  delays 

Oiling  

i  man 

i 

45 

o-3 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

6 

20 

i  .0 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

5 

40 

0.9 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

4 

35 

0.8 

Replacing  heel  pin 

5  men 

21 

15 

3-5 

Rock  between  teeth 

I  man 

I 

25 

O.2 

Car  off  track 

6  men 

8 

oo 

!-3 

Rock  in  teeth     . 

i  man 

o 

30 

O.  I 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

2 

55 

°-5 

Stone  on  track  . 

O 

45 

O.I 

Rock  in  teeth 

. 

I 

o 

0.2 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

4 

o 

0.7 

Oiling  

2  men 

2 

40 

0.4 

Clearing  dipper 

2  men 

4 

40 

0.8 

Rock  on  track   . 

3  men 

i 

40 

0.3 

Chaining  stone 

3  men 

3 

45 

0.6 

Replacing  bolt  in  stick 

5  men 

ii 

15 

1.9 

Clearing  bucket 

2  men 

4 

30 

0.7 

Total  time   under  observation 

607 

40 

100.  0 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner 

$5  oo 

Craneman                                                      

1  60 

Fireman       .     .          .           

2    4O 

4  pitmen      
i  track  cleaner     
i  coal  carrier 

6.00 
i-5° 

I     ^O 

$20.00 

Number    of    carloads    excavated    on    day   of    observation,    189 

of  capacity  7 -yards  (water  measure). 
Cubic  yards  loaded  i=   189x7x0.75*  =  990. 

$2O  .  OO 

Cost  per  day  per  cubic  yard  =r  — ~^~  =  2.020.  per  cubic  yard. 


Place  measure 
*  o  75  =  ratio  of  Wat€ 


990 


ter  measure 


126 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Time 

Cost  per 

Total 

•p                     A        1       " 

Per 

Yard 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading     . 

367 

35 

60.4 

1.220") 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up   ... 

49 

40 

8.2 

0.166  ^ 

b  Repairs    .      . 

32 

30 

5-4 

0.109 

1.641 

c  Miscellaneous    . 

43 

45 

7.2 

o.  146  J 

Charge      to      transporting 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars   . 
2.  Miscellaneous 

103 
10 

45 
25 

17.1 
1-7 

°-345  I 
0.034  f 

0.379 

607 

40 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

2.020 

TIME  STUDY  DEDUCTIONS 


Number 
of 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximun 

Obser- 

vations 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time   of    moving  up, 

shovel  idle    . 

6 

5 

IO 

8 

16.6 

9 

45 

Time  between  moves, 

shovel  working 

5 

56 

15 

64 

55 

82 

15 

Time   between    trains 

16 

3 

55 

6 

22.5 

12 

05 

Time  per  train,  loading 

18 

13 

IO 

2O 

25 

28 

35 

Time  per  dipper    . 

5 

32.1 

35-2 

37-6 

Number     of      dippers 

per  move 

5 

90 

112 

:53 

Number    of      dippers 

per  train 

18 

3° 

35-5 

43 

Number    of      dippers 

per  car 

189 

3-38 

.. 

Number      of       trains 

loaded      .     „ 

18 

Number  of  cars  loaded 

189 

Cars  per  train 

(  9    trains  of  n  cars,  and 
(  9    trains  of  10  cars  each 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds  _         44,400 
Coal  consumption,  pounds         5,000  to  6,000 


=  8  88  to  7.40 


127 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


128 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Figs.  23  and  24.     Bucyrus  Shovel  Engaged  in  Stripping  at  Grant  Mine,} 
Buhl,  Minn. 

129 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  15  SHOVEL  No.  650 

INSPECTED    AUGUST   30,  1909 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 


THE  SHOVEL  This  is  a  yo-ton  shovel,  owned  by  the 
Illinois  Improvement  Company,  located 
at  South  Deering,  111.,  and  employed  in  digging  slag. 
Its  only  distinguishing  feature  is  the  kind  of  teeth 
which  are  of  special  form. 


SUPPLIES  Water  was  taken  from  the  tank  of  the 
locomotive  and  was  paid  for  at  the  rate  of 
50  cents  a  tank.  The  engineer  said  that  noo  gallons 
were  consumed  in  loading  21  cars,  which  is  at  the 
rate  of  about  2  ^  cents  per  car  of  3 1  cubic  yards,  place 
measure,  or  at  about  eight  cents  per  100  cubic  yards. 


MATERIAL     The  digging  was  not  difficult,  being  about 
the  same  as  firmly  cemented  gravel.     No 
blasting  was  necessary. 


TRACK  AND  TRANSPORTATION      Large  freight  cars 

and  railroad  en- 
gines were  used  and  supplied  by  the  railroad  company, 
with  the  result  that  sometimes  many  cars  were  on  hand 
and  sometimes  none. 

The  arrangement  of  the  track  is  shown  in  the  sketch, 
and  the  extent  of  the  excavation,  which  was  begun  last 
May,  by  the  photographs.  On  the  day  of  our  observa- 
tion the  shovel  was  idle  70  per  cent  of  the  time 

130 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  yards 

Height  of  lift 10' 

Kind  of  teeth Special 

Number  of  pitmen 4 

Height  blocked  up i ' 

Length  of  boom 28' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 21' 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track 26'  4" 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 21' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 27' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump        16' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 7 '  6" 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks 2' 

Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track   ...      20' 

Depth  of  dipper 48" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 60" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  teeth 82" 

Number  of  cars  loaded 25 

Cubic  yards  excavated   * 822 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 36' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 6 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move    .     .     .     .  6'  4" 
Average    time    between    beginning    of    one    shovel    move   and 

beginning  of  next 68.8  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 4.5 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains       .     .     362  minutes 

Area  of  section       600  square  feet 

Height  of  face Maximum  20',  minimum  2' 

Water  used uoo  gallons  to  load  21  cars 

Weather,  clear 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:00  12:30 

Stopped  work  12:00  5:30 

Total  time  worked          300  +  300  min.  =  600  min.  :=  10  hours 

131 


H  A  N  D  B  O O  K    OF    S  T  E  A  M     SHOVE  L    W  O  R  K 


Mini 

ites          Seconds          Per  Cent 

Actual  working  156                oo                26 

.0 

Changing  trains       362                oo                60 

•  4 

Moving  shovel    17                30                  2 

•  9 

Idle  —  Taking  water      .... 

8               30                 i 

•  4 

Getting  up  steam      ....             50                oo 

•  3 

Miscellaneous  delays 

Clearing  track      

6              oo                 i 

.0 

Total  time  under  observation    .          60 

O                     OO                  IOO 

.0 

Direct  Labor  Distribution 
Per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Loading 

Incidental 

Total 

Runner       
Craneman  
Fireman           .... 

$5.00 
3.60 
2.40 

6.00 

.     .     . 

4  pitmen      
Watchman      .... 

$1.50 

Total  cost  of  labor  per 
Cost  per  day  per  cubic 
Per  cent           .... 

day       .- 

yard 

$17.00 
2.07 
92  .0 

$1-5° 

0.18 
8.0 

$18.50 
2     25 
1  00.0 

The  above  costs  are  based  upon  the  day's  output  of  82: 
cubic  yards. 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 

Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  . 
2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up      ... 

I56 
J7 

OO 
30 

26  o 
2  9 

0.538] 
O.o6o  1 

0.799 

b  Miscellaneous      .     . 

58 

.30 

9.7 

O.2OI  J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 

362 

OO 

60.4 

I    248   ) 

2.  Miscellaneous     .     . 

6 

oo 

I  .0 

0.023  f 

I  .2/1 

600 

•  • 

IOO.O 

2.O70 

132 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Dipper  Performance 

Min. 

Average 

Max. 

No.  of 
Obs. 

No.   At- 
tempts 

Digging     .     .     0 
Swinging  loaded  !  Time  in 
Swinging  empty  [seconds 
Falling  empty     .  J 
Time  to  fill  and  load  one 
dipperful  

31A 
2/2 
1% 

9-3 
5-1 
3-7 
3-8 

26 

20)^ 

7 

12 

63 
63 
63 
63 

63 
63 

914 

21.9 

65  X 

63 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  Obs. 

Seconds     .... 

H 

19.7 

26 

63 

ACTUAL   RATIOS 


Incidental  labor 
Direct  labor 


=  0.094 


Fig.  25.     Eucyrus  Shovel  No. 

133 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


2S 


SS 


oB» 


1  ft* 

*M 

*5>5 

8^8 

Pl^l 
^^^^ 


134 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


-;  V  4*"-. 


A  jo-ton  Biicyrus  Shovel  at  work,  South  Deering,  111. 
135 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT   No.  16          SHOVEL  No.  980 

INSPECTED   AUGUST   28,  1909 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 

THE  SHOVEL  This  shovel  of  the  yo-ton  class  is  owned 
by  the  American  Brick  Company,  and 
is  at  one  of  their  yards,  about  1 5  miles  outside  of  Chicago, 
employed  in  digging  clay.  The  boom  and  dipper  handle 
are  of  steel  and  the  boom  is  truss  shaped. 

CREW     The  crew    consisted    of    engineer,    craneman 

and  two    pitmen.       In    moving    forward    the 

"  hooker-on  "  assisted,   making  four  men    for  this  pur- 
pose. 

SUPPLIES     Water  is  supplied  from  a  tank  located  near 
the   buildings.     Coal  is  brought  down  in 
one  of  the  dump  cars  and  placed  upon  the  shovel  by 
hand. 


POWER     Steam  power  is  used  to  run  the  brickmaking 
machinery  and  to  haul  the  cars  up  the   in- 
clined plane,  while  horses  haul  from  the  shovel  to  the 
bottom  of  the  incline. 


TRACK   AND   TRANSPORTATION      Three-yard      nar- 
row   gauge    cars 
are  used,  which  can  be  dumped  on  one  side  only. 

The  arrangement  shown  on  the  sketch  and  photo- 
graphs worked  satisfactorily,  since  with  four  cars  the 
granulator  was  well  supplied  with  material.  The  time 

136 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

for  a  round  trip  was  obtained  several  days  after  the 
observations  were  made  on  the  shovel.  The  shovel  was 
then  located  at  the  foot  of  the  incline,  so  that  no  horses 
were  necessary  and  only  one  car  was  used.  One  man  at 
the  bottom  of  the  plane  hooked  the  cable  to  the  cars. 
He  also  assisted  in  moving  forward. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper        2^  yards 

Height  of  lift A.  M.,  10'  to  12';  Pv  M.,  14' 

Height  blocked  up i' 

Length  of  boom 28' 

Length  of  dipper  handle        18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 21.5' 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track 26.5' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 20' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 27 ' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 16' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 7 '  6" 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks  (varied  from  6  to  8') 
Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  tracks     .  21' 

Depth  of  dipper 4' 

Depth  of  dipper  (including  lip) 5' 

Number  of  cars  loaded 166 

Cubic  yards  excavated 49& 

Coal  used 1.3  tons 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 12'  4" 

Number  of  times  moved  forward    .  

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move     .      .      .        6'  4" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of   one   shovel   move 

and  beginning  of  next 199  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move '.  75 

Area  of  section        830  square  feet 

Height  of  face 10'  to  26'^ ',  average  18' 

Weather,  A.  M.,  fair.     P.  M.,  cloudy  and  showery. 

137 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon 

Afternoon 

Started  work 
Stopped  work 

7:00 
I2:OO 

1:02 

3:53 

Min.         Min.        Min. 

Total  time  worked 

300  +    171=471  = 

7  hours  51  minutes 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

I  ^4. 

?o 

T>    8 

\Vaiting  for  cars 

27  C, 

H8    4 

Moving  shovel        
Idle 
Tightening  bolts  on   bull  wheel 
engine     .           .... 

8 

L7 

O    2 

Firing    
Oiling 

c 

•• 

O.2 
j     j 

Car  off  track   

21 

T,O 

4  6 

Repairing  track  .      . 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Moving  boulder 

3 

3° 

^o 

0.7 

O    I 

Clearing  track     

i 

O.2 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

47  1 

IOO.O 

Standan 

1  Basis 

Direct  Labor  Distribution  per  Day 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Dumping 

Total 

Runner  
Craneman  
2  pitmen  
i  hooker-on 

$5  oo 
3.60 
3-0° 

$1     CQ 

2  drivers 

3  oo 

2  horses  . 
Hoisting  engineer  .... 
i  dumpman  ...  .  . 

.  .  . 

3-oo 
2.40 

$1    50 

Total  cost  of  labor  per  day 

Cost  per  day  per  cubic  yard, 
Per  cent 

$11  .60 

2-33 

CQ    A 

$9-90 
1.99 

AT.     I 

$1.50 
0.30 

6  5 

$23.00 

4.62 
IOO    O 

138 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Ti 

me 

Per 

Cost  per 

VarH 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cost 

Charge  to  waiting  for  blas- 

ters 

7O 

Charge  to  loading 

Ju 

i.   Actual  loading     . 

154 

30 

32.8 

0.764") 

2.   Delays 
a  Moving  up    ... 

8 

1.7 

0.040  | 

0.839 

b  Miscellaneous   . 

7 

:-5 

0-°35J 

Charge     to     transporting 

and  dumping 

i.    Waiting  for  cars 

275 

. 

58.4 

1  361) 

2.   Repairs       .... 

3 

3° 

0.7 

o  016  V 

1.489 

3.    Miscellaneous 

22 

30 

4-8 

O.  112   ) 

471 

oo 

IOO.O 

2-330 

Dipper  Performance 

Min. 

Av. 

Max. 

No. 
Obs. 

No.  At- 
tempts 

Digging             .      .   1 
Swinging  loaded   )   Time  in 
Swinging    empty    ["  Seconds 
Falling      .      .     .  J 

5-5 
3-0 
4-0 

2.0 

10.7 
6.6 
5-5 
2.9 

17 
14 
9 

4 

3° 
28 

25 
2O 

30 

dipperful 

He 

2  c    7 

•  J 

*3-  / 

Time  for  a  complete   swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  Obs. 

Seconds      .... 

19 

26.2 

31-5 

J9 

139 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Knives  to 
Bottom  of 
Plane 

* 

0         ° 

'"     "     ^ 

i 

•Ml 

| 

I  eg   2 

Waiting  and 
Dumping  at 
Knives 

I 

t>. 

% 

i     :      : 

i 

3     :      : 

Waiting  at  Bottom  of 
Bottom  of  Plane  to 
Plane  Knives 

1 

*   <£     s 

4 

^    ««    J 

JL 

=44 

4 

CO            •            • 

| 

^S     :      : 

15  S  a 
>  2^S 

wm 

i 

»     §     ^ 

^    §     - 

g 

*    §     ? 

Hooking-on 

| 

o        •        •      i 

4 

J     :     J 

i 

o  .    :      : 

suou 
-BAaasqo 

00         SO         OO 

Time  (seconds)  
Distance  (feet)  
Speed  (feet  per  second)  .  .  . 

Actual 
Round  Trip 

X 

H  i  ? 

i 

5^  i  * 

| 

*i  &  ~ 

Waiting  be- 
fore Shovel 
Starts  to  Load 

| 

m        '         '• 

< 

i  :   : 

- 

i 

o      :      : 

This  Point 
to  Shovel 

| 

&    2     ^ 

4 

o     g     |? 

•= 

1^2^: 

|l 

1 

S,     :      : 

«<! 

£     ':      ': 

0 

*o     :      : 

Bottom  of 
Plane  to  Point 
100  Feet  from 
Shovel 

a 

o     8      : 

5 

^    8     ^ 

| 

*o      §      ^ 

Waiting  at 
Bottom  of 
Plane 

| 

%     :      : 

4 

I     i     !. 

i 

o      .      ; 

suou 

CO         00         00 

Time  (seconds)  
Distance  (feet)  
Speed  (feet  per  second)  .  .  . 

140 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


141 


HANDBOOK    OF    S  T  E  A  M     S  HOVE  L    W  O  R  K 


Fig   28 


Fig.  29.       jo-ton   Bucyrus   Shovel   Digging   Clay  in   Pit  of  American   Brick 
Company,  Chicago,  111. 

142 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT  No.   17  —  SHOVEL  No.  424 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER  2,  1909 
RIVERDALE,  ILL. 

LOCATION     Bucyrus  steam  shovel  No.  424,  owned  by 
the  Chicago  Brick  Company,  is  located  in 
one  of  their  clay  pits  at  Riverdale. 

THE  SHOVEL  The  machine  was  new  when  the  brick 
company  bought  it  and  has  been  used 
by  them  ever  since  (now  about  eight  years)  to  dig  out 
clay.  A  chain  is  used  for  hoisting,  but  the  swinging  is 
done  with  a  steel  cable.  The  cutting  edge  of  the  dipper 
is  a  solid  plate  extending  18  inches  beyond  the  lip  and 
riveted  to  the  latter,  being  rounded  off  and  drawn  out 
to  a  sharp  edge  in  front.  The  face  against  which  the 
shovel  works  is  very  high  (26  feet)  and  it  frequently 
caves  in,  sometimes  falling  upon  the  dipper,  causing  con- 
siderable strain  on  the  dipper  handle  and  crane  engine. 

MATERIAL  The  clay  in  the  pit  is  very  heavy,  but  is 
not  blasted  before  digging.  The  shovel 
shows  no  undue  strain  when  digging,  but  several  times 
the  dipper  handle  has  been  thrown  out  so  far  that  it  has 
been  caught  on  the  tie  bars  holding  the  boom  and  has 
bent  them  considerably.  As  there  is  often  considerable 
sand  in  seams  and  layers  between  the  clay,  the  en- 
gineer has  to  judiciously  mix  it  so  that  the  clay  will  not 
be  too  "  short "  for  good  bricks.  This  causes  the  digging 
to  be  very  uneven  at  times,  since  on  one  side  there  will 
often  be  good  clay,  and  on  the  other  poor  sand. 

LABOR  The  engineer  does  his  own  firing  and  the 
craneman  superintends  the  moving  forward. 
One  of  the  two  pitmen  sees  that  the  track  is  not  ob- 
structed, throws  the  switch  for  the  cars,  the  other  looking 
after  the  jacks  and  the  pit. 

143 


HAND  H  ()  C)  K    OF    S  T  E  A  M     SHOVE  L    W  O  R  K 

SUPPLIES  Coal  is  brought  out  in  one  of  the  clay  cars 
and  thrown  upon  the  shovel  by  the  pitmen, 
usually  after  the  loading  is  stopped  in  the  afternoon, 
when  enough  coal  is  taken  to  last  throughout  the  fol- 
lowing day.  Water  is  obtained  from  a  pipe  line  leading 
from  the  mill. 

TRANSPORTATION      The  cars  are  all   provided  with 
two  horse-power  motors,  to  which 

current  at  125  volts  is  supplied  through  a  third  rail  in 
the  middle  of  the  tracks.  The  capacity  of  the  cars  is 
3.12  cubic  yards,  but  they  are  heaped  full.  They  dump 
on  one  side  only.  The  top  of  each  car  is  five  feet  above 
the  track.  They  do  not  move  very  fast,  but  their  motion 
is  constant  and  the  service  is  satisfactory.  The  steepest 
grade  is  5  per  cent  against  the  empties,  but  even  here 
the  speed  is  noticeably  reduced,  so  that  it  is  not  likely 
that  cars  of  such  low  horse-power  would  be  of  use  to  a 
contractor  under  the  usual  conditions.  Seven  horse- 
power cars  were  tried  on  this  track,  but  were  found 
to  be  too  fast  and  easily  became  derailed.  The  cars 
are  run  by  one  man,  who  controls  switches  located  at 
about  the  center  of  the  system,  which  is  divided  into 
seven  circuits,  each  controlled  by  a  single-pole  knife 
switch,  so  that  the  operator  can  control  each  individual 
car  at  any  time  and  at  any  place  along  the  line.  At 
the  end  of  each  branch,  or  where  a  car  is  switched  back 
on  another  track,  the  reverse  switch  is  thrown  by  an 
automatic  contrivance,  which  is  simply  a  small  steel 
frame  with  a  bent  bar  that  knocks  the  reverse  lever  up 
as  the  car  passes  by.  At  the  end  of  the  line,  where  the 
cars  are  loaded,  one  of  the  pitmen  knocks  down  the 
lever  when  the  car  is  ready  to  start,  and  the  switch- 
man, seeing  this  done  from  his  shed,  closes  the  switch 
for  that  circuit.  When  the  cars  run  out  to  the  shovel 
the  switchman  has  to  open  the  circuit  when  they  near 
the  end ;  then,  just  as  they  strike  the  bumper,  which 

144 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

is  part  of  an  old  hoisting  chain  wrapped  around  one 
rail,  the  pitman  places  a  block  under  the  wheels.  The 
third  rail  runs  to  the  foot  of  the  incline,  where  a  wire 
cable  is  attached,  and  are  drawn  up  by  an  electrically 
operated  hoisting  engine. 

All  the  switches  work  automatically  by  springs,  there 
being  no  one  to  attend  to  the  cars  after  they  pass  the 
switchman  and  until  they  arrive  at  the  foot  of  the  incline, 
where  a  man  attaches  the  cable. 

There  are  two  granulators  in  the  mill,  but  at  present 
only  one  is  in  use  so  that  the  shovel  is  often  delayed 
waiting  for  the  cars  to  be  dumped  and  returned.  When 
both  machines  are  run,  however,  there  is  more  work 
for  the  shovel,  and  a  fireman  is  furnished. 

Ground  up  brick  powder  is  used  on  the  rails  in  place 
of  sand  to  keep  the  shovel  wheels  from  slipping  when 
moving  up. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Weight 65  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  cubic  yards 

Height  of  lift 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Cutting  lip 

Number  of  pitmen 2 

Height  blocked  up. i' 

Length  of  boom       .          28' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 2O/ 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track       .     .     ...     •     •     •     25' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 19'  6" 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump  .     .     .     •  '.•-••     •     •     •     27' 

Highest  dipper  ca'n  reach  to  dump •     •    ...     •     16' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 7-S' 

Height. of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks 25' 

Distance  inside  dinkey  tracks  to  inside  shovel  track  .     .     .     15, 

145 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 


Depth  of  dipper 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  cutter  blade 

Number  of  cars  loaded 

Cubic  yards  excavated  (place  measure) 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day       .... 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move     ....       3' 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next 152  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 50 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains        .     .    283  minutes 


48" 
62" 
80" 
158 
474 
8' 
•  3 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 


Forenoon 

6:54:00 

9:13:30 

i     8:59:30 

(    11:09:00 


Afternoon 
11:48 


Min.  Min.  Min. 

Total  time  worked  241    +   234^  =   503^  =  7  hours  55  min- 
utes 30  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working   ...... 
Waiting  for  cars       
Moving  shovel    
Idle 
Engineer  firing     
Axle    box    knocked    out    of 
car  
Tightening  jacks  

160 

283 
ii 

4 

ii 

o 

30 
00 

oo 

30 

00 

^o 

33-8 

59-5 
2.3 

0.9 
2-3 

O.I 

Miscellaneous  delays 
Clearing  track  

5 

oo 

I.I 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

475 

30 

IOO.O 

146 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct  Labor  Distribution 
Per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dentals 

Total 

Runner    
Craneman     
2  pitmen  
controllerman     .... 
cableman  
hoistman   
cardumper 

$5  oo 
3.60 
3.00 

$2    60 

1.50 
1.50 

$1.5° 

$1-5° 

watchman      
Total  cost  of  labor  per  day 
Cost  per  cubic  yard  .     .     . 
Per  cent        

$11.  60 

2.45 
57-4 

$5-60 

1.18 
27.6 

$1.50 
0.32 

7-5 

$1.50 
0.32 
7-5 

$2O.2O 
4.27 
IOO.O 

lime 

Process  Analysis 

Per 
Cent 

Charge 
Cents 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Loading 

i.  Actual  loading  . 
2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up  ... 

1  60 
II 

30 
oo 

33-8 
2-3 

0.828! 
0.056  [ 

0.909 

b  Miscellaneous  .     . 

S 

oo 

i  .0 

0.025J 

Transportation  and  dump- 

ing 

i.  Waiting  for  cars     . 

283 

oo 

59-5 

1.458! 

2.  Miscellaneous     .     . 

16 

oo 

3-4 

0.083  f 

475 

3° 

IOO.O 

.  .  . 

2.45° 

147 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


l.|| 

||l 

X 

£     :      : 

$ 

2      :      : 

1 

a     :      : 

Bottom 
of  Plane  to 
Knives 

| 

a  &  S 

P." 

*  a  j 

i 

U*        O        QQ 

Waiting 
at  Bottom  of 
Plane 

1 

10 

•<*• 

4 

ft- 

00 

i 

Switch  No.  i 
to  Bottom 
of  Plane 

X 

8    5   ^ 

4 

s.  t  2 

| 

o    °3-    ^ 

«      vo        VO 

rt  6 

i 

8      :      : 

4 

8      :     : 

i 

8      :     : 

Shovel  to 
Switch  No.  i 

1 

eg     &    - 

4 

N         O        VO 
^          ^         ,0 

1 

0         0         rh 
10        ro        -J- 

suoi; 

00         CO         00 

> 

•  •  1 

o 
^n      ^       aj 

'OS"3 

ill 

i 

ro      10      IN 

M    -^       10        co 

"u   O  JH 

4 

03  2 
aj? 

10         fO 

c 

i 

w  r 

§     H 

10          O 
10          « 

Switch  No.  4 
to  Shovel 

1 

§>            ^            ^ 

4 

rr)        0         10 

c 

i 

0         2        "°. 

rt  6 

II 

I 

8      :      : 

4- 

8      :      : 

£ 

8      :      : 

Bottom 
of  Plane  to 
Switch  No.  4 

1 

§•  €  S 

> 

oo        ro       m 

i 

g,    vS5    ^ 

Waiting 
at  Bottom  of 
Plane 

1 

8      :     : 

4- 

8      :      : 

i 

8      :      : 

Knives 
to  Bottom  of 
Plane 

X 

1 

°   a  j 

4 

«     2s     S. 

i 

8   a  -5. 

suoi; 

^  „  «, 

T3 
C 
O 

I 

OJ 

s 

h 

Distance  (feet)  
Speed  (feet,  seconds)  .  . 

148 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


REPAIRS 

We  were  given,  by  permission,  the  following  inter- 
esting statement  of  repairs  for  6^2  years,  not  includ- 
ing labor : 

YEAR  1903 

February     13     i  cutter  blade,  i%"  x  16"  x.44"  mild  steel.     Plate 

bent  and  drilled  6.i"x3%";  bolts,  same. 

June  7     2  valve  stems  for  boom  engine,  2  pins  for  same. 

June  15      i  hoisting  chain  for  shovel  (i%"  x  122');  I  cutter 

blade,  i  %  "  x  1 5"  x  44". 
July  20     i  friction  brake   complete   with  band;    12   hard 

wood  blocks. 

September  18     Four  4^"  cylinder  cocks. 
October         9     12  countersunk  bolts,  3^",  and  nuts;    50  turned 

bolts,  %"  x  5"  nuts, 
i   swinging  cable,  i  %"  x  48'  / 


November  27 


i  swinging  cable,  iX//x52/  f 


TOO' 


June 
July 
July 

August          3 
September  21 


YEAR  1904 

j  i   swinging  cable,   i%"*48' 
I  i   swinging  cable,  i%"x$2' 

60  forged  rack  bolts 

(  8  forged  rod  bolts,  iH"x22"  / 
j  i  forged  rod  bolt,    2     "  x  30"  [  J56  Pounds" 
50  turned  bolts,  %"  x  4",  61  pounds. 

3  bolts,  i"x2%",  and  nuts 

Two  2^"  hexagon  nuts,  as  per  sample 


YEAR  1905 

January        13 2  steel  jack  plates,  155  pounds 

February       8 2  cutter  blades,  iX"xi6"x44// 

June  9     ....      2  nests  standard  4-coil  truck  springs 

August         25     2  bearings  with  caps  and  bolts  for  same    (used 

on  dipper  shaft). 
September  16     i  long  toggle  lever,  No.  91336;   i  double  forked 

link  and  pin ;  2  short  toggle  links  and  pins ; 

i    double  forked   link  pin  ;    i  toggle  link  pin  ; 

i  latch  keeper,  54  pounds. 


149 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


September  14 


October       14 


November    8 


Two  2y2"  bolts,  34"  long,  127  pounds;  two  2%." 

bolts,  34"  long,  137  pounds. 
f  60  tack  bolts      ~} 
|  10  turned  bolts  >  105  pounds. 
I  40  turned  bolts  ) 
<j    ^.^     „  rod  bolts  , 

|  12-1     "  x  3%  "  countersunk  bolts    >  143  pounds 
L    8-   %"  x  2       "  countersunk  bolts    ) 
2^"  x  12"  plates  drilled  complete,    56  pounds; 
rivets  for  same,  17  pounds 


YEAR  1906 

March  10     i  shipper  shaft,  No.  1-9157,  232  pounds  ;   one  i^ 

moran  joint;  12  small  screws  as  per  sample; 
6  large  screws  as  per  sample ;  36  copper  rivets; 
2  rack  pinions  with  key  for  same ;  i  set  keys 
for  same. 

May  24 One  3"  throttle  valve  complete 

June  14     One  I  %"  x  122'  hoisting  chain,  214  pounds;  one 

i%"  x  52'  swinging  cable;  twenty-seven 
%"  x3/4"  finished  bolts  and  nuts,  30  pounds; 
twenty-four  %"x$%"  finished  bolts  and  nuts, 
37  pounds ;  six  ^"  locomotive  cylinder  cocks  ; 
2  steel  bushings  for  dipper  bail. 
September  8  .  Two  i%"  X2j"  bolts,  4"  thread  on  each  end 

September  13 i  jack  nut,  No.  9011,  205  pounds 

October         4 i  jack  nut,  No.  9011,  202  pounds 

October          5      14  bushings;  2  V.  S.  pins;  4  ecc.  rods  pins. 
October       25     i  rocker  shaft  bearing,  2  rocker   shaft  bearings, 

2  common  rods  for  valve  stems  with  pins. 
December    n      i  cutter  blade,  i%"  x  18"  x  44";    two  2%"  hexa- 
gon nuts. 


June 
June 


July 


YEAR  1907 

52'  of  iX"  ex-  flex-  plow  steel  rope 
Twelve    %"   finished   bolts,    5"   long  with   nuts, 

38   pounds;     twelve    %"   finished  bolts,   5^" 

long  with  nuts,  38  pounds;     twelve 

rod  bolts  with  nuts,  206  pounds. 
2  bushing  No.  2  standard  13;    i  pin, 

long,  7-9030. 


x  38" 


150 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


YEAR  1908 

September  22  One  \%"  turnbuckle,  9140;  i  hoop  end,  S.  X. 
bracer,  9140;  2  lower  boom  guys,  10-9140; 
2  upper  boom  guys,  9-9140,  with  pins  and 
bolt,  1233  pounds;  I  A.  frame  collar  pin  and 
bolts,  140  pounds;  i  thorough  bolt  and  nuts. 


March 
April 

April 


May 
June 
June 

July 
August 


Two 


YEAR  1909 
"  x  34"  holding  down  bolts,  139  pounds. 


26     i  Fulcrum  bracket,  9139  A  ;   i   Fulcrum  bracket 

pin,  1-9135. 

7  i  swinging  cable,  i^"x48';  twenty-four  %" 
finished  bolts,  5"  long  hexagon  nuts  ;  twenty- 
four  y^'  finished  bolts,  $y2"  long  hexagon 
nuts;  2  braces  for  cross-head  pins,  9525  A; 
2  cross-head  pins  writh  nuts,  1-9549. 

10     .     .     .     .       i  cutter  blade,  i  %"  x  1  8"  x  44"  plat. 
i     Two  i%"  U-bolts,  5-9176,  and  nuts,  214  pounds. 

15     Six    1%"  x  22%"    bolts    with     hexagon     nuts; 
2O-pound  %"  lock  washer,  340  washers. 

23     ......  One  1  5oo-gallon  tank  complete. 

21     ....      i  hatch  keeper,  10-9030,  51  pounds. 


Summary 

Cost 

IQO7 

$277    2O 

IQOJ. 

70  88 

IQO  ? 

178  20 

1906 

•27  c    12 

IQO7 

47    "^ 

1908 

4/  O3 

1  16  43 

IQOQ 

266  86 

Total  for  6)^  years     
To  this  must  be  added,  for  boiler  repairs, 
including  labor                          

$1288.24 
200  oo 

Per  Year 

Maximum  =  $375 
Average  =  198 
Minimum  =  48  Not  including  boiler. 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


152 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  30 


Fig.  31.     Two  Views  of  Clay  Pits  owned  by  the  Chicago  Brick  Co.,  showing 
Tracks  and  a  Bucyrus  Shovel 

153 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT  No.   19  —  SHOVEL   No.  517 

INSPECTED    OCTOBER   4,    1909 
BUHL,    MINN. 

LOCATION  Butler  Brothers  have  two  shovels  working 
on  their  stripping  contract  in  the  Grant 
Mine  (see  p.  123).  This  is  a  new  project,  the  mine 
undergoing  the  first  stripping  at  the  present  time  although 
heretofore  ore  has  been  taken  from  underground. 

MATERIAL  in  a  cut  about  900  feet  long  and  200  feet 
wide,  which  represents  the  limit  of  opera- 
tions at  present,  nearly  every  kind  of  material  met  with 
on  the  Mesabi  has  been  encountered.  The  top  is  clay 
and  loam  almost  entirely  free  from  boulders.  In  places 
this  clay  seems  to  retain  its  moisture  and  is  heavy, 
damp  and  sticky,  hard  to  dig  out  of  the  bank  and  harder 
to  dislodge  from  the  dipper.  In  other  places  the  clay 
was  impregnated  with  iron  and  was  dry  and  crumbling. 
This  was  easy  to  handle.  At  some  points  boulders 
were  intermingled  with  the  dry  material,  and  while  in 
general  they  were  not  large  they  interfered  considerably 
with  the  digging.  At  about  30  feet  from  the  surface 
was  a  layer  of  boulders  varying  in  size  from  8  inches  to 
5  feet  in  thickness.  These  lay  with  almost  no  material 
between  them,  a  clean  mass  of  stones  that  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  picked  and  placed  by  hand.  This  pre- 
sents perhaps  the  most  difficult  work  to  be  encountered 
by  a  steam  shovel  in  any  locality.  Extra  heavy  teeth 
are  often  bent  and  broken  so  as  to  be  utterly  useless. 
A  couple  of  small  pockets  of  gravel  were  uncovered. 
Solid  taconite  and  taconite  mixed  with  earth,  and  low 
grade  ore  in  a  clean  body  and  also  mixed  with  taconite 
were  encountered. 

Shovel  No.  517  was  working  in  soft  clay  mixed  with 
boulders.    These  boulders  were  not  very  large  nor  were 

i54 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

they  massed,  but  were  scattered  through  the  clay  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  be  readily  picked  up  with  it.  Most 
of  them  passed  through  the  dipper  without  trouble. 
When  a  boulder  too  large  to  handle  was  uncovered  it 
was  thrown  to  the  side  of  the  pit  away  from  the  loading 
track  and  as  far  back  as  possible.  For  the  day's  work 
these  boulders  averaged  less  than  one  per  "  shovel 
move." 

The  shovel  bank  was  very  low — too  low  for  econom- 
ical work.  At  the  beginning  of  the  day  the  bank  on 
the  extreme  right  of  the  cut  was  high  enough  to  allow 
the  dipper  to  be  filled  at  one  trial.  After  three  hours' 
work  the  shovel  experienced  greater  difficulty  in  filling 
dipper.  For  the  first  seven  moves,  while  working  with  the 
high  bank  at  one  side,  the  shovel  averaged  nearly  a  car 
to  the  move  more  than  during  the  remainder  of  the  day. 

The  low  bank  also  had  its  effect  upon  the  time  per 
dipper.  For  the  first  7  trains  the  average  time  per 
dipper  was  22.07  seconds  while  for  the  rest  of  the  day 
the  average  time  was  26.83  seconds,  an  increase  of  21 
per  cent. 

MOVING  UP  The  pit  could  be  kept  clean  because  the 
bank  ahead  was  not  high  enough  to  cave 
into  it.  For  this  reason  it  was  found  possible  to  lay  the 
track  before  the  signal  was  given  for  the  move-up,  which 
of  course  necessitated  working  in  the  pit  and  in  front  of 
the  shovel  while  it  was  working,  a  rather  dangerous 
procedure.  While  the  runner  never  stopped  his  dipper 
because  of  the  men  below,  their  presence  made  him 
more  cautious  and  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  he  was 
able  to  operate  quite  as  fast  and  freely  as  would  have 
been  the  case  with  a  clear  pit. 

The  moves  of  the  shovel  were  unusually  difficult 
because  of  the  curve  of  the  track,  and  consequently  the 
time  per  move  cannot  be  compared  with  that  for  other 
shovels  with  ordinary  moves  and  ordinary  methods. 

i55 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  L    W O  R  K 

Whatever  time  is  gained  on  the  actual  move  is  probably 
lost  by  the  more  cautious  work  of  the  runner  while  the 
track  is  being  laid,  and  although  this  cautious  running 
may  not  be  individually  noticeable,  its  effect  on  a  whole 
day's  work  is  important. 

SHOVEL  The  jack  blocks  for  this  shovel  were  slightly 
different  from  the  ordinary  ones.  Mr.  Butler 
said  that  they  had  been  trying  different  kinds  and  had 
found  that  pyramiding  several  thin  ones  was  better  than 
the  use  of  large  heavy  blocks.  The  ground  block  in 
this  case  was  4  feet  by  6  feet,  composed  of  3  layers  of 
2-inch  by  ic-inch  stuff.  The  top  and  bottom  members 
run  the  6  feet  length  of  the  block.  The  next  block  was 
3  inches  by  3  inches  by  4  inches  thick,  the  next  2  feet 
6  inches  by  2  feet  6  inches  by  4  inches  and  the  top 
block  2  feet  by  2  feet  by  4  inches.  The  jack  plate 
rested  on  this  with  a  base  about  i  foot  square.  The 
plate  was  free  from  both  block  and  jack. 

Extra  large  and  strong  teeth  are  necessary  in  this 
mine  because  of  the  nature  of  the  digging.  Teeth 
weighing  460  pounds  each  are  used  and  these  are  often 
bent  and  broken.  One  tooth  was  observed  which  had 
been  bent  over  and  down  until  it  lay  against  the  lip  of 
the  dipper. 

In  attempting  to  move  a  large  boulder  from  the  front 
part  of  the  pit  it  became  jammed  in  the  dipper.  The 
craneman  was  carrying  the  boulder  on  the  dipper  teeth 
and  it  toppled  into  the  dipper.  Being  too  large  to  go 
through,  it  caught  on  the  back  of  the  dipper  and  the 
entire  shovel  crew,  the  rockmen,  the  coal  passer  and  the 
train  crew  of  three  men  64  minutes  and  10  seconds  to 
remove  it. 

The  bolster  of  the  front  truck  has  been  reinforced 
with  four  plates,  y^"  x  6",  riveted  to  the  sides  of  the  two 
regular  I-beams  ;  and  the  A  frame,  which  is  of  the  built- 
up  type,  has  been  reinforced  with  plates  along  its  side. 

156 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

The  lower  chord  of  the  boom  truss  has  a  i//x6//  plate 
riveted  to  its  underside  and  extending  the  length  of  the 
open  part  of  the  boom. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel         Bucyrus,  75-ton 

Distance  of  move 5'  4" 

Kind  of  teeth Very  heavy,  weigh  460  pounds 

This  is  the  section  of  bank  when  shovel  started  working. 


It  was  turning  slightly  to  the  left,  and  at  9.45  cut  out  of  bank 
left  by  old  loading  track  and  section  became 


Height  of  lift  . 


Cars  above  rail 7r  3" 

Shovel  track  to  loading  track,  5'  minus 
Size  of  ties  under  shovel    .    ; .     ".      .      .      .     6"  x  6"  and  6"  x  8" 

Size  of  bucket    . 2%  yards 

Length  of  shift         ,."'..      ....      .10  hours 

Number  shifts  per  day 2 

Coal  is  dumped  from  dump  car  back  of  shovel  and  is  carried  in 

basket  to  bunker  by  man. 
Water  is  piped  from  underground  mine  nearby  and  run  in  pipe 

over  side  of  cut. 


157 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Repairs  are  made  on  Sundays  and  when  needed. 

Coal  used 2^  tons  per  shift 

Water  used         4200  gallons  per  shift 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  two  weeks. 

Kind  of  track Standard  ;  6o-pound  rails 

7-yard  Russell  Wheel  and  Foundry  cars  used. 

Locomotive  braked  by  air. 

Hand  signals  used. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey     .      .       Standard  locomotive,  5o-ton  ± 

Number  of  trains 2 

Age  of  cars  and  dinkey.     New  on  this  job.    Bought  early  in  1909 
Weather,  fair,  rather  cold. 

TIME    STUDY 


minutes 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Forenoon                            Afternoon 
6:55:20                           12:55:15 
11:58:00                          6:oo:IO 

Min.    Sec.        Min.    Sec. 

Total  time  worked 

302      40    +    304      55  =  IO  hours  7 

35  seconds. 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working   

296 

40 

48.8 

Waiting  for  cars         

46 

3° 

7-7 

Moving  shovel    .      .            . 

141 

7C 

27.3 

Miscellaneous  delays 

O  3 

O    O 

Fixing  bale  pin       

4 

45 

0.8 

Boulder  on  track    

i 

25 

O.2 

Fixing  bale  pin       

2 

55 

0-5 

Clearing  track         

6 

o 

I  .O 

Tightening  jack     

o 

35 

O.  I 

Putting  on  new  bale  pin   . 

1  1 

10 

1.8 

Boulder  on  track   

2 

3° 

0.4 

Loading  old  teeth        .... 

6 

30 

i  .  i 

Repairs  to  locomotive 

6 

45 

i  .  i 

Pulling  timber  from  pit     . 

i 

20 

O.  2 

Rock  in  teeth 

i 

o^ 

O    2 

Dumping  coal  from  car    . 

3 

j 
30 

0.6 

Repairs  to  locomotive 

5' 

10 

0.8 

Rock  stuck  in  dipper 

64 

IO 

10.6 

Rock  in  teeth  

i 

3° 

O.2 

Car  off  track 

i. 

T.O 

0.6 

o 

J 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

607 

35 

IOO.O 

158 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner 

$5  oo 

Craneman                .             .                   .                   . 

3    60 

Fireman       
4  pitmen     

2.40 

6  oo 

2  track  cleaners    
i   coal  carrier         

3.00 
1.50 

$21.50 

Car   loads   excavated  on  day    of    observation,   156   @    7  cubic 
yards  per  car,  water  measure. 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation,  156x7x0.75*=  820. 


Cost    of   labor   per  day  per  cubic  yard  = 
per  cubic  yard. 

Place   measure 
Water  measure 


_  $21.50  _ 


0.75  =  ratio  of 


820 


=    2.62  cents 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

296 

40 

48.8 

1.2791 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up     ... 

141 

35 

23-3 

0.610  > 

2.308 

b  Repairs      .... 

18 

So 

3-1 

0.081 

c  Miscellaneous     .     . 

78 

40 

12.9 

0-338J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars    . 

46 

.30 

7-7 

0.202  } 

2.  Repairs   

ii 

ss 

2.O 

0.052  > 

0.312 

3.  Miscellaneous  . 

13 

25 

2.2 

0.058  ; 

607 

35 

IOO.O 

.... 

2.62O 

159 


H  A  N  D  H O  O  K    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    W  O  R  K 


Time  Study  Deductions 

Number 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Mean            Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec.   ;  Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving   up, 
shovel  idle     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train,  loading 
Time  per  dipper     . 
No.  of  dippers  to  move 
No.  of  dippers  to  train 
No.  of  dippers  to  cars 

"  *j 
H 

16 
23 
23 
J5 

3 

9 
12 

10 

IO 
IO 
40 

14 

6 
12 

3 

'9 

26 

53-6 

13-5 

OI 

25.2 

1  1 

17 

5 
25 

OO 

oo 

35 
oo 

35 

24                      30.8                      38 

36                  44              47 
4  54 

Number  of  trains  loaded  . 
Number  of  cars  loaded 

Number  of  cars  per  train  . 


16 

156 

First  and  last  trains  8  cars  each, 
others  10  each 


ANALYSIS  OF  COMPLETE  DIPPER  SWING 

Where  only  one  trial  was  necessary  to  obtain  dipperful 


Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Seconds 

Seconds 

Seconds 

Digging  
Swinging  over  . 
Swinging  back  . 

28 

37 
34 

3.60 
4.OO 
2.80 

6.00 

5-74 
7-49 

9.60 
7.20 
9.60 

Total  

•• 

10.40 

19.23 

26.40 

Where  more  than  one  trial  was  necessary  to  obtain  dipperful 


Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Seconds 

Seconds 

Seconds 

Scratching    .... 
Digging  
Swinging  over  . 
Swinging  back  .     . 

18 

!9 
23 
2O 

4.80 
6.20 

4.00 

6.80 

5.76 

9.08 
6.08 
;.(,o 

8.00 
1  1.40 

8.00 
9.60 

Total  

•• 

2  1.  80 

28.82 

37.00 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption, pounds 35,000 

Coal  consumption,  pounds      5,000 


160 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 


EXPLANATION  OF  TIME  STUDY 

We  give  with  the  description  of  this  shovel's  work,  the 
complete  time  study  on  it,  to  indicate  how  an  operator 
may  get  up  such  information  as  is  given  in  this  report 
for  himself. 

The  starting  point  of  the  study  and  the  feature  upon 
which  all  figures  are  based  is  the  shovel  move,  and  the 
attempt  has  been  made  to  make  the  study  read  from  this 
in  logical  order.  By  reading  across  the  lines,  the  com- 
plete day's  work  of  the  shovel  can  be  followed. 

Let  us  take  the  time  study  for  No.  5 1 7  and  follow  it 
through  in  explanation : 

The  day's  work  began  at  6.55.20.  From  the  blowing 
of  the  whistle  to  the  time  when  the  first  train  came  up 
to  be  loaded  was  5  minutes  10  seconds,  and  is  called 
"Waiting  for  first  train"  under  "Miscellaneous  Delay," 
in  column  No.  8.  After  the  train  arrived,  4  minutes 
45  seconds  were  occupied  in  repairing  a  bale  pin,  and 
then  the  shovel  started  loading.  That  these  two  delays 
came  before  the  loading  began  is  shown  by  the  figures 
occupying  lines  above  that  in  which  the  first  "  Loading 
time "  is  given,  and  the  fact  that  they  are  successive 
delays  is  shown  by  their  being  on  different  lines. 

The  shovel  loaded  the  first  train  in  15  minutes  30 
seconds,  as  shown  in  column  No.  2,  and  this  required 
37  swings.  Only  one  train  was  loaded  on  this  move, 
as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  "Loading  time  of  train," 
column  No.  2,  and  "Working  per  move,"  column  No.  4, 
are  identical  and  by  the  fact  that  the  "  Dippers  per 
train,"  column  No.  3,  and  "  Dippers  per  move,"  column 
No.  6,  are  identical.  During  the  loading  of  the  train  a 
delay  of  i  minute  25  seconds,  because  of  "  boulder  "  on 
track,  is  noted  in  column  No.  8. 

This  move  having  been  finished  and  the  train  loaded, 
the  shovel  next  moved  up  in  7  minutes  5  seconds,  as 

161 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

shown  in  column  No.  i,  and  loaded  for  15  minutes, 
making  38  swings  in  that  time. 

The  shovel  moves  again  in  6  minutes  5  seconds  and 
loads  for  3  minutes  50  seconds  or  9  swings,  filling  the 
train.  There  follows  a  wait  of  2  minutes  35  seconds  for 
the  next  train.  When  this  train  came  up  it  loaded  22 
dippers  in  9  minutes  20  seconds  and  the  shovel  then 
moved  up.  The  shovel  worked  on  this  move  3  minutes 
50  seconds  on  one  train  and  9  minutes  20  seconds 
on  the  next,  or  a  total  of  13  minutes  10  seconds 
(column  No.  4)  and  in  that  time  loaded  31  dippers 
at  an  average  rate  of  .424  minute  per  dipper.  During 
the  loading  of  22  dippers  on  the  last  train,  2  minutes  55 
seconds  were  consumed  in  "fixing  bale  pin,"  n  min- 
utes for  the  move,  and,  after  starting  to  load,  22  dippers 
were  dumped  in  8  minutes  15  seconds,  filling  the  train. 
The  total  loading  time  of  the  train  and  the  total  number 
of  dippers  are  not  given  but  are  the  sums  of  the  figures 
in  bracket,  in  this  case  9  minutes  20  seconds  plus 
8  minutes  15  seconds^iy  minutes  35  seconds  for  load- 
ing time  of  44  dippers. 

After  filling  the  train  a  delay  of  3  minutes  1 5  seconds 
followed  while  waiting  for  the  next  train.  When  this 
arrived  the  shovel  loaded  10  dippers  in  3  minutes  40 
seconds  and  then  moved  up.  Besides  the  3  minutes 
40  seconds  consumed  in  loading  this  train,  8  minutes 
15  seconds  were  used  on  the  previous  train,  or  a 
total  loading  time  for  the  move  of  n  minutes  55 
seconds,  32  dippers  being  loaded.  During  the  loading 
of  the  last  10  dippers  6  minutes  were  needed  to  clean 
the  track. 

The  move  up  took  5  minutes  50  seconds  and  was 
followed  by  9  minutes  25  seconds  of  loading  when  the 
train  was  full,  having  taken  36  dippers  on  this  move  and 
10  on  the  previous  one,  or  46  altogether.  That  the  entire 
move  was  needed  to  load  this  train  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  figures  in  column  Nos.  2  and  4,  and  in  Nos.  3 

162 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

and  5  are  the  same.  The  next  move  up  took  7  minutes 
15  seconds,  and  the  train  came  up  in  3  minutes  45  sec- 
onds. These  3  minutes  45  seconds  were  then  not  lost, 
as  the  time  occurred  during  the  7  minutes  15  seconds, 
and  is  put  in  parentheses  to  show  that  it  is  not  to  be 
counted  as  lost  time. 

After  the  move  occupying  7  minutes  1 5  seconds,  the 
shovel  loaded  30  dippers  in  1 1  minutes  and  moved  up 
again.  The  total  working  time  of  this  move  was  1 1  min- 
utes and  the  total  dippers  were  30.  After  the  next  move, 
which  took  5  minutes  45  seconds,  the  shovel  loaded  16 
dippers  in  4  minutes  50  seconds  and  the  train  was  full. 
The  next  train  was  up  in  5  minutes  35  seconds  and 
loaded  16  dippers  in  6  minutes,  before  the  shovel  had 
to  move.  After  the  move,  which  took  5  minutes  50 
seconds,  31  dippers  were  loaded  in  n  minutes  35 
seconds  and  the  train  was  full.  These  31  dippers  also 
made  another  move  up  necessary. 

To  make  the  notes  clearer  the  time  of  any  one  train 
has  been  put  in  brackets.  The  time  per  train,  however, 
is  not  essential,  the  essential  time  being  based  on  the 
moves  rather  than  on  the  trains.  This  fact  must 
be  kept  in  mind  constantly  in  reading  all  time  study 
notes. 

The  "  Miscellaneous  delays  "  in  column  No.  8  may 
have  occurred  either  during  the  loading  of  the  train  on 
whose  line  they  appear  or  after  that  train  is  loaded. 
That  is  a  detail  that  makes  no  difference  so  long  as  the 
time  is  shown  to  have  been  lost. 

The  total  working  day  is  given  in  its  two  parts  at  the 
head  of  the  sheet  and  is  reduced  to  minutes  and  seconds. 
The  number  of  trains  loaded  is  given  at  bottom  of  the 
page,  together  with  the  number  of  moves  worked,  and 
such  other  facts  as  may  be  pertinent.  The  number  of 
moves  worked  will  be  the  same  as  the  number  of  items 
in  column  No.  4  and  may  be  the  same  as  the  number  of 
items  in  column  No.  i,  or  may  be  one  less  than  this. 

163 


HANDBOOK    OFSTEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 

EXPLANATION  OF  TABLES  OF 
"TIME  OF  DIFFERENT  PARTS  OF  DIPPER  ACTION" 

This  time  study  was  made  by  two  methods.  To 
properly  fill  the  dipper  it  was  often  necessary  to  make 
two  lifts.  For  this  reason  different  sets  of  figures  were 
obtained  to  cover  each  condition. 

In  table  No.  i  only  one  movement  of  the  dipper  was 
needed  to  get  a  full  load.  Where  two  trials  were  made 
the  figures  have  been  put  in  parentheses  and  omitted 
from  the  totals  and  averages,  but  when  the  times  of  swing- 
ing are  not  thereby  affected  they  are  shown.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  divide  the  time  of  the  two  trials  equally, 
but  it  was  seen  that  this  would  not  give  true  values. 

In  table  No.  1 1  the  first  digging  movement  of  the 
dipper  is  called  "scratching,"  not  only  to  indicate  it  more 
clearly,  but  because  that  is  what  the  process  really  is. 
The  material  of  the  bank  is  simply  loosened  and  falls 
down  into  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  where  it  is  picked  up 
by  the  dipper  on  the  next  trial. 

The  time  for  "  scratching  "  was  taken  from  when  the 
throttle  of  the  hoisting  engine  was  open  to  that  when  it  was 
closed.  The  time  of  "  digging  "  then  is  the  time  required 
to  drop  the  dipper  to  the  bottom  of  the  pit  and  raise  it, 
picking  up  a  load  in  the  meantime,  and  ends  when  the 
"  swing  over  "  starts.  This  it  will  be  seen  is  not  a  fair 
apportionment  of  time  to  this  item  of  the  dipper  action, 
as  it  is  too  great  by  the  time  required  to  drop  the  dipper. 

When  the  dipper  was  filled  in  one  trial  in  table  No.  1 1 
the  time  of  that  dipper  is  put  in  parentheses  and  not 
counted  in  the  total  and  average,  as  in  these  cases  a 
different  condition  obtains.  The  average  of  these  times, 
510,  is  seen  to  be  near  the  average  for  "digging"  in 
table  No.  i. 

Wherever  a  figure  is  widely  different  from  the  other 
figures  of  a  column  it  has  been  enclosed  in  parentheses 
and  left  out  of  the  average. 

164 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


ro     o 

0)          •!-> 


S.  e*»  s  r£ 


S-5o 

(JH 


.§  2 
"o 


:  :  5;%  :  s, :  : 


O    O    0 

M      01    O 


O     •    O     •     •    m  10  O     •     •   O  m  jo    •     •    O   O 
mm  M  o>  H  OHM  o  o- 


0*00 


165 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


-a 


Ill 


g  * 


D   3   O   3   <U   O 

P4  CL,  P4  Q  P*H  P4 


•  '8 


O    O    <N  <N  lOVO  O  00    10 

*     O    *"    O^     ~       *    10     '       "  >O    u">     *    iO     "       *     ^-^O 


•(>•      -O'      •      •      -OOOON      •      *M      •      "MO      • 


-O-'-'OOO-'O'-OO-O-'OO' 
5  OP)^-  O  in^-ro  OM 

in  •^-•^-10  TJ-  Tfrovo  t^M 


00  ON   •  O  »«    •   •*•   •   O>   •     •   O>oo   !STt--t^O     -NO        O   •*    •   t^  •<»-    • 


§-&  '  2  '  8  ' 


1 66 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


SHOVEL  No.  517 

TIME  OF    DIFFERENT    PARTS    OF  DIPPER   ACTION 


TABLE  No.  i 


Digging 
Seconds 

Swmg- 
ng  Over 
Seconds 

Swing- 
ng  Back 
Seconds 

Scratch- 
ing 
Seconds 

Digging 
Seconds 

Swing- 
ng  Over 
Seconds 

Swing- 
ng  Back 
Seconds 

6.0 

6.4 

7-6 

5.6 

9.8 

4.8 

7-2 

4.8 

4-4 

7.2 

5-6 

9.0 

5-6 

7.2 

4-4 

5-6 

8.0 

5-4 

10.0 

6.2 

8.0 

8.0 

5-6 

7-4 

4.8 

9.6 

(12.6) 

8.4 

6.4 

6.4 

7.0 

(6.0) 

4.2 

7-4 

8.4 

7.2 

6.2 

6.0 

10.6 

5-4 

7.8 

5-4 

6.2 

7-6 

8.0 

7.6 

(10.8) 

(12.2) 

6.4 

5-o 

9.0 

6.0 

7-2 

3-6 

5-6 

9-4 

5-2 

9.2 

4.6 

7.2 

7.0 

7.2 

7-8 

(5-2) 

4.0 

9.6 

(8.0) 

(8.0) 

5-8 

7-6 

5-6 

8.0 

5-° 

(8.0) 

(8.0) 

6.2 

8.4 

(4.0) 

5-6 

7.2 

4.8 

8.4 

6.6 

9.0 

6.8 

10.6 

5  2 

(10.0) 

4.4 

6.2 

68 

(6.0) 

7.8 

9.2 

4.8 

48 

(14-0) 

(4.8) 

5-4 

8.8 

6.4 

7.2 

7.0 

5-6 

11.4 

6.6 

7-4 

6.0 

4.0 

6.4 

6.4 

10.4 

6.4 

7.8 

5.8 

8.2 

5-o 

9.2 

6.8 

9.0 

5-2 

5-2 

9.2 

7.2 

7-8 

7.2 

6.8 

(6.8) 

(7.0) 

6.2 

6.6 

(5-o) 

6.8 

8.0 

(6.8) 

(7-0) 

6.4 

6.8 

5-o 

9.6 

8.0 

7-4 

6.8 

6.2 

2.8 

5-8 

8.8 

7-4 

8.0 

(10.4) 

4.2 

7.2 

6.0 

8.2 

7.2 

8.4 

8.2 

9.6 

5-2 

8.0 

6.2 

8.0 

(12.8) 

(8.2) 

(8.2) 

5-2 

6.4 

4.8 

7.6 

6.8 

(6.4) 

(66) 

6.0 

9.6 

7  2 

7.0 

6.8 

5-2 

4.8 

8.4 

(7-6) 

(7-6) 

6.4 

7.2 

4.8 

6.4 

8.2 

5-8 

6.2 

5.6 

7.0 

9.0 

.    . 

5-6 

5-6 

6.4 

8.0 

4.8 

8.6 

(7-4) 

(7-6) 

6.0 

5-6 

7.2 

4.8 

8.0 

-(7.6) 

7-8 

4.6 

7.8 

(8.1) 

(8.1) 

4.4 

7-6 

(6.8) 

(7-o) 

4.8 

8.0 

Total     .     . 

168.2 

212.6 

254.6 

103.8 

172.6 

141 

158.0 

Trials     .     . 
Average 

28 
6.00 

37 
5-74 

34 
7-49 

18 
5.76 

J9 
9.08 

1,3 

20 
7.90 

(5.10) 

TABLE  No.  2 


I67 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     S  H  O  V  E  L     WORK 


Fig.  32.     Type  of  Dump  Car  used  at  Grant  Mine,  Buhl,  Minn. 


. 


Fig.  33-     View  of  Grant  Mine,  Buhl,  Minn. 
168 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT  No.  20         SHOVEL  No.  727 

INSPECTED  AUGUST  26,  1909 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 

LOCATION     Bucyrus  Steam  Shovel  No.  727,  owned  by 
the  American  Brick  Company,  is  located 
in  one  of    its  clay  pits  near  45th  and    Roby  Streets, 
Chicago,  111. 

SHOVEL  AND  CREW     The    machine    was    purchased 
from    the    factory    about    five 

years  ago  and  has  been  used  continuously  since  then  to 
excavate  clay.  No  itemized  list  of  the  repairs  has  been 
kept,  but  they  have  been  slight,  not  amounting  to  over 
$350.  It  is  provided  with  a  chain  hoist  and  cable  swing, 
each  being  operated  by  a  separate  steam  engine.  The 
friction  ram  which  operates  the  hoist  is  worked  by  hand 
and  not  by  steam,  as  on  some  of  the  larger  machines. 
The  crew  is  composed  of  four  men,  the  engineer, 
who  is  also  fireman,  the  craneman  and  two  pitmen. 
The  pitmen  keep  the  dinkey  track  clear  and  lay  the 
ties  and  rails  for  the  shovel  to  move  upon. 

MATERIAL  The  pit  is  very  soft  and  sticky  in  wet 
weather,  but  when  it  is  dry  is  not  un- 
pleasant to  work  in.  There  is  some  sand  mixed  with 
the  clay  but  not  enough  to  cause  trouble  when  they  are 
loaded  together. 

SUPPLIES  Coal  is  brought  out  in  one  of  the  clay  cars 
and  shoveled  into  a  box  on  the  ground  since 
the  cars  dump  on  the  side  away  from  the  shovel.  Water 
is  supplied  to  the  tank  through  a  pipe  connecting  with 
the  city  mains. 

169 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

TRANSPORTATION     One  dinkey  hauls  the  cars  back 
and  forth  from  the  shovel  to  the 

incline,  where  they  are  drawn  up  to  the  granulator  by  a 
wire  cable  connected  to  a  steam  driven  drum.  The  man 
who  runs  the  engine  also  dumps  the  cars.  Two  cars 
generally  constitute  a  train,  but  occasionally  there  are 
three.  The  haul  to  the  bottom  of  the  incline  is  about 
four  hundred  feet.  One  man  is  stationed  at  the  botton 
to  hook  on  the  cars.  The  dinkey  engineer  does  his 
own  firing.  The  cars  weigh  about  a  ton  and  a  half  and 
hold  3.12  cubic  yards.  The  shovel  could  work  con- 
siderably faster  if  the  machinery  could  use  the  clay,  but 
often  a  car  is  drawn  to  the  granulator  and  held  there 
for  several  minutes  before  it  is  dumped,  and  as  very 
large  chunks  of  clay  can  not  be  easily  handled  in  the 
granulator  the  engineer  must  so  run  the  shovel  as  to 
shave  off  the  bank,  which,  greatly  retards  the  speed  of 
loading.  There  is  a  switch  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
foot  of  the  incline  where  the  track  divides,  coming 
together  again  half  way  up  the  slope.  The  loaded  cars 
are  run  in  on  the  right  track  of  this  switch  and  the 
empties  are  hauled  out  from  the  other  side.  Since  the 
switches  all  work  automatically  by  springs  the  dinkey 
cannot  pull  out  of  the  switch  and  back  in  to  get  the 
empties,  so  a  cross  over  is  provided 

OBSERVATIONS 

Weight .  55  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2  cubic  yards 

Height  of  lift '.......    5' 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel 

Height  blocked  up i' 

Length  of  boom       . 25' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 16'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  track 22  V2  ' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 17'  10" 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 25' 

170 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 15' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 6l/z' 

Height  of  dinkey  track  above  shovel  track        ....  o 

Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track      .      .         15' 

Depth  of  dipper 46" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 58" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  teeth 72" 

Number  of  cars  loaded .        160 

Cubic  yards  excavated  (place  measure)         320 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 19' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 4 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move     .      .      .     5'  2" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next 1 1 8  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 42.7 

Area  of  section         500  square  feet 

Height  of  face          22' 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 

6:45 
I2:OO 

Min.          Min.          Min. 


Afternoon 

12:57 


Total  time  worked     315   +    175  =  490  =  8  hours  10  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working    

140 

OO 

28.6 

Spotting  cars        

5 

OO 

I  .O 

Waiting  for  cars        .... 

295 

30 

60.3 

Moving  shovel     ..... 

16 

3° 

3-4 

Idle 

Car  off  track          .... 

20 

OO 

4-i 

Firing          

i 

OO 

0.2 

Bringing  out  coal 

i 

OO 

O.2 

Miscellaneous  delays 

Clearing  track        .... 

ii 

OO 

2.2 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

49° 

OO 

IOO.OO 

171 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     SHOVE  I,     WORK 


Direct  Labor  Distribution 
Per  Day 

.Standard  Basis 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Total 

Runner 

$5-00 
3.60 
3.00 

$2.60 

$1.50 

C  ran  eman 
2  pitmen  . 
Dinkeyman    . 
Hooker-on     . 
i  dumpman  . 



Cost  of  labor 
Cost  per  day 
Per  cent 

per  day    .... 
per  cubic  yard    . 

$11  ".60 

3.62 
67.4 

1.2% 

23-  8 

$1.50 
0.47 

8.8 

$17.20 

5-37 

IOO.O 

Time 

Cost  Per 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Per 

Cent 

Yard  in 
Cents 

Cost 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

140 

OO 

28.6 

1    °35~) 

2.  Delays 

I 

a  Moving  up 

16  . 

30 

3-4 

0.123  f 

1.172 

b  Miscellaneous 

2 

0.4 

o.oi4j 

Transportation  and  dump- 

ing 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 
2.  Miscellaneous 

300 
31 

30 

6'-3 
6-3 

2.220   \ 
0.228   ( 

2.448 

490 

oo 

IOO.O 

.      .      . 

3  620 

172 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Figs.  34  and  35.    55-ton  Shovel  in  Clay  Pit  of  American  Brick  Co.,  Chicago,  111 
173 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER   VIII 

STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  IRON  ORE 

Very  unusual  efficiency  is  shown  by  the  investigation 
of  the  work  done  in  the  iron  ore  regions  of  Michigan 
and  Minnesota.  There  seem  to  be  the  following  rea- 
sons for  this  :  i .  The  work  is  largely  in  the  nature  of 
a  permanent  installation,  and  consequently  years  of 
study  on  one  job  have  developed  an  efficiency  that  a 
contractor  is  not  likely  to  attain  on  one  compara- 
tively short  piece  of  work  with  uniform  conditions,  or 
on  many  jobs  with  varying  conditions  ;  2.  The  material 
is  generally  quite  uniform,  and  presents  month  after 
month  and  year  after  year  fewer  .new  and  strange  con- 
ditions than  does  the  average  run  of  rock  work,  there- 
fore the  problem  is  simpler ;  3.  It  appears  that  the  com- 
panies operating  in  this  region  for  some  reason  are  in 
the  habit  of  studying  their  unit  costs  more  systemati- 
cally than  the  average  contractor's  organization.  Study 
of  these  costs  invariably  leads  to  more  economical  work, 
wherever  we  have  observed  them. 

It  is  the  general  policy  of  the  mining  companies  not 
to  give  out  any  information  from  their  books,  and,  there- 
fore, much  instructive  data  on  cost  of  repairs,  etc.,  could 
not  be  obtained  from  them,  but  they  have  extended  the 
courtesy  of  allowing  our  inspectors  to  make  observations 
in  the  field  very  freely. 

The  notable  feature  in  ore  handling  is  its  great 
density,  involving  a  much  greater  amount  of  power  to 
raise  a  cubic  yard,  than  in  the  case  of  the  earths. 

MESABI    RANGE 

In  St.  Louis  County,  Minnesota,  some  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  Lake  Superior,  is  located  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  iron  ore  regions  in  the  world,  due 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

directly  to  the  geological  formation,  and,  indirectly 
arising  from  this  to  the  method  of  excavating  the  ore 
which  has  been  extensively  adopted.  Beneath  the 
bases  of  the  huge  mountain  ranges  of  past  ages,  which 
millions  of  years  of  the  slow  but  incessant  action  of  the 
natural  elements,  frosts,  floods  and  great  fields  of  ice 
have  gradually  ground  down  to  a  nearly  uniform  sur- 
face, are  found  the  great  beds  of  red  and  black  iron 
oxide  of  the  Mesabi  Range.  The  soluble  alkalis  and 
silica  cement  of  old  bed  rock,  an  unstable  iron  silicate 
locally  known  as  taconite,  have  been  slowly  worn  away 
by  centuries  of  constant  water  action,  until  now  the 
vast  disintegrated  deposits  extend  for  miles,  covered  by 
a  mantle  of  drift  material,  gravel  and  boulders  varying 
in  depth  from  o  to  90  feet  or  more,  and  in  some  spots 
rise  up  through  the  surface.  The  range  is  about  100 
miles  in  length  and  from  one-half  to  three  miles  wide, 
covering  an  expanse  of  150  miles,  or  thereabouts,  of 
which  15  per  cent  to  30  per  cent  is  capable  of  produc- 
ing an  iron  ore  whose  quality  is  unsurpassed,  even  by 
the  best  products  of  the  old  world.  The  beds  average 
in  depth  from  75  feet  to  250  feet,  but  have  been  known 
to  extend  down  500  feet  and  600  feet.  Thus  it  is 
seen  that  these  wonderful  deposits  embody  all  of  the 
requisites  for  ideal  ore  mining,  not  only  in  quality  and 
quantity  of  product,  but  ease  and  facility  of  handling. 
This  feature  opened  the  way  for  a  new  method  of  ex- 
cavation, one  far  superior  to  the  old,  that  of  the  steam 
shovel.  Unknown  in  mining  work  twenty  years  ago, 
this  method,  which  enables  the  output  of  the  Mesabi 
district  to  surpass  that  of  any  other  region  of  the  world, 
has  done  much  toward  making  the  United  States  the 
foremost  iron  and  steel  producing  country  of  to-day. 
The  location  of  these  mines  places  their  product  within 
easy  reach  of  the  principal  inland  cities  and  ports,  thus 
making  them  an  ideal  distributive  center  for  this  coun- 
try. Contributing  to  this  valuable  and  bountiful  supply 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

are  more  than  one  hundred  mines  in  active  operation. 
According  to  the  inspector  of  mines  of  St.  Louis 
county,  the  output  of  various  mines  for  the  fiscal  year 
ending  June  30,  1909,  was  as  follows:  Hull  Rust, 
3,266,905  tons;  Fayal,  1,660,919  tons;  Burt,  1,595,435 
tons;  Virginia,  1,181,726  tons ;  Adams,  1,176,330  tons; 
Mahoning,  1,064,611  tons.  The  supply  promises  to 
hold  out  for  many  decades,  both  from  the  output  of  the 
mines  operated  at  present,  as  well  as  from  those  which 
are  continually  being  discovered  and  put  into  operation. 

When  a  new  mine  is  to  be  opened,  in  the  first  place 
an  "  exploration  company "  is  employed  to  locate,  as 
nearly  as  possible  by  drilling,  the  position  and  shape  of 
the  deposit,  to  map  it  out,  to  estimate  the  probable 
productive  capacity  and  the  amount  of  "  stripping " 
necessary.  This  latter,  which  consists  of  removing  the 
overburden  of  drift  with  the  steam  shovels,  after  clear- 
ing of  timber,  etc.,  is  usually  done  by  contract.  This 
overburden  varies  from  a  glacial  till,  easily  handled,  to 
coarse  gravel,  clay,  boulders,  low  grade  ore,  etc.,  fre- 
quently requiring  to  be  loosened  by  blasting.  It  is  the 
usual  practice  to  strip  enough  ore  to  enable  the  mining 
to  be  started,  and  then  to  strip  and  mine  simultaneously, 
but  occasionally  the  stripping  is  entirely  completed  be- 
fore the  mining  proper  begins.  The  steam  shovel  is 
placed  upon  a  portable  track.  Upon  a  parallel  one, 
close  by,  automatic  dump  cars  from  four  to  seven  cubic 
yards  in  capacity,  in  trains  of  seven  to  ten  cars  each, 
are  run  alongside  by  a  dinkey  engine,  and  when  filled 
by  the  shovel  are  hauled  to  the  dump,  usually  from  one- 
eighth  to  one  and  one-half  miles  distant  from  the  mine. 

Although  contracts  are  made  for  both  stripping  and 
mining,  the  latter  is  usually  performed  by  mining  com- 
panies. The  process  is  practically  the  same  as  that  of 
stripping,  the  cars  in  this  case,  however,  being  of  about 
fifty  tons  capacity.  The  railroad  furnishes  the  cars  and 
takes  them  in  charge  at  the  entrance  to  the  mine ;  all 

176 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

other  equipment  is  owned  by  the  mining  company,  and 
the  spotting  of  the  cars  for  the  shovel  and  all  transporta- 
tion in  the  mine  is  done  by  them.  The  shovel  ordinarily 
employed  weighs  from  65  to  90  tons,  though  larger 
ones  are  used,  and  will  handle  from  two  to  five  tons  of 
ore  at  each  swing  of  its  dipper. 

Although  the  method  of  "open-pit"  mining  described 
above  is  the  most  economical  and  productive,  as  well  as 
the  one  most  extensively  practiced  in  this  region,  others 
are  employed,  such  as  the  "milling,"  and  the  old  univer- 
sally known  "underground  "  methods.  In  the  "milling" 
process  a  shaft  is  sunk  close  beside  the  ore  bed  to  a 
depth  sufficient  to  allow  a  tunnel  to  branch  off  beneath 
the  deposit.  After  "stripping,"  a  funnel-shaped  open- 
ing is  made  through  the  bed  and  down  to  the  tunnel. 
The  ore  is  fed  or  "milled"  down  this  opening  into  tram 
cars,  which  in  turn  convey  the  ore  through  the  tunnel 
to  the  shaft,  where  skips  raise  it  to  the  surface.  During 
the  summer  the  skips  dump  into  bins  from  which  the 
ore  is  loaded  directly  into  the  railway  company's  cars, 
but  in  the  winter  season  stock  piles  are  formed  from 
which  the  steam  shovel  loads  the  ore  the  following 
summer. 


177 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


JO     ^ 

s  » 


a  ^ 


"s  "^ 

S  _g 

o  J 

M  s 


178 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM   SHOVEL  WORK 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


! 


1 80 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


181 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


182 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


,,  .»:•  ;m<-t 
•?!:«»% 


183 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 


184 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


186 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  45.     Illustration  Showing  Self-sharpening  Wear  on  Teeth  at  Hanna  Mine 


Fig.  46.     Monroe  Pit  at  Chisholm,  Minn. 
I87 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

GENERAL    REMARKS 

OLIVER  IRON  MINING  COMPANY 

HIBBING,  MINN. 

GAUGE  Many  of  the  companies  use  standard  gauge 
equipment  entirely  and  this  simplifies  their 
work  immensely ;  for  instance,  if  necessary,  the  loading 
track  can  be  broken  behind  the  shovel  and  the  shovel 
moved  back  on  that  track  at  any  time.  Generally, 
however,  a  standard  gauge  track  is  laid  keeping  within 
40  or  60  feet  of  it  and  when  the  shovel  has  finished  a 
cut  it  backs  up  on  this  track,  which  at  once  becomes  the 
loading  track  for  the  next  shovel  cut. 

REPAIRS  In  case  heavy  repairs  are  to  be  made  on  a 
shovel  a  locomotive  crane  is  run  in  on  the 
loading  track  and  the  work  done  with  its  help.  A  loco- 
motive crane  is  kept  in  the  Hull-Rust  mine  at  all  times 
and  is  used  as  a  wrecking  outfit  when  needed  in  addition 
to  its  use  on  shovel  repairs. 

TEETH  In  the  stripping,  as  done  in  the  Sellers'  Ap- 
proach, the  teeth  on  the  dipper  have  to  be 
renewed  at  least  once  a  week  and  this  is  generally 
done  every  Sunday.  It  sometimes  becomes  necessary 
to  replace  a  single  tooth  or  perhaps  two  of  them 
during  the  week,  but  each  shovel  is  supposed  to  use  4 
teeth  per  week  and  this  average  holds  as  a  general 
rule.  In  ore  the  teeth  are  supposed  to  last  a  month. 
They  are  never  broken  and  seldom  bent  and  all  wear 
down  evenly.  They  wear  from  the  outside  or  the 
bottom,  as  one  craneman  expressed  it,  and  so  keep 
themselves  sharpened.  They  are  allowed  to  wear 
down  within  about  6  inches  of  the  lip  and  the  short 
blunt  teeth  thus  obtained  seem  to  make  no  difference 
in  the  digging. 

188 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

TRANSPORTING  The  cars  used  for  earth  are  of  the 
seven  yard  side-dump  type.  For  ore 
the  one  most  commonly  used  is  the  ioo,ooo-pound 
pressed  steel  hopper  car,  although  there  are  still  in  use 
many  7o,ooo-pound  capacity  wood  cars,  hopper  bottom. 
Both  types  are  M.  C.  B.  standard  equipment  throughout. 
The  hopper  doors  are  worked  by  a  hand  crank.  The 
steel  cars  have,  in  general,  a  height  of  10  feet  from  rail 
and  the  wood  cars  7  feet  6  inches.  This  equipment 
belongs  to  the  railroad  company  that  carries  the  ore 
to  the  loading  docks.  The  stripping  equipment  is 
the  property  of  the  mining  company  or  the  contractor, 
as  the  case  may  be.  All  hauling  within  the  mines  is 
done  by  the  mining  companies'  locomotives,  the  railroad 
companies  merely  placing  the  empties  on  the  mine  sid- 
ing, as  they  would  for  any  other  shipper. 

SHOVEL  CREW  For  stripping,  the  shovel  crew  is  the 
usual  organization  with  4  or  6  pit- 
men, varying  with  the  nature  of  the  work.  The  num- 
ber is  generally  4,  with  2  extra  men  to  clear  track. 
These  two  men  are  called  "  rock  men  "  and  are  used  in 
the  pit  only  in  case  of  emergency.  When  loading  ore 
the  pit  crew  is  always  4  and  the  rock  men  may  number 
as  many  as  8.  The  rock  gang  varies  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  ore  being  loaded.  If  the  ore  breaks  out 
in  large  pieces  it  has  to  be  sledged,  and  if  taconite 
occur  this  must  be  removed.  On  No.  1083  there  were 
6  rock  men  in  the  pit  and  two  in  the  cars  throwing  out 
rock  and  suspicious  looking  ore. 

ORE   REQUIREMENTS      The     shipping     requirements 
for  ore   affect   the   output   of 

a  mine  very  largely  and  consequently  the  working  of 
the  shovels.  In  order  to  produce  ore  of  a  certain 
grade  for  shipment,  that  from  several  mines  is  often 

189 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WOK  K 

mixed.  For  instance,  if  the  ore  of  one  mine  should  run 
.05  in  phosphorous,  it  may  be  mixed  with  the  ore  from 
another  mine  running  .02  and  be  in  such  proportions 
that  the  shipment  will  pass  as  Bessemer  grade.  In  this 
way  one  mine  may  be  rushed  to  fill  orders  for  shipment 
while  another  is  almost  idle. 


LOADING  All  pieces  of  rock  or  taconite  too  large  to 
lift  by  hand  and  too  hard  to  break  are 
thrown  by  the  shovel  as  far  back  as  possible  and  left. 
The  pieces  that  the  men  can  handle  are  thrown  down 
near  the  loading  track  at  the  foot  of  the  bank  to  be 
loaded  later.  This  loading  is  done  as  follows :  Several 
dump  cars  are  left  at  each  shovel.  When  a  train  ar- 
rives to  be  loaded  these  cars  are  coupled  to  the  front 
end  of  it  and  pushed  along  with  the  train.  When 
loaded,  the  train  spots  the  dump  cars  at  the  shovel  and 
pulls  out,  leaving 'them  there.  The  shovel  then  picks 
up  what  it  can  of  the  pile  of  rock  by  the  loading  track 
and  what  it  cannot  get  hold  of  readily  is  thrown  into 
the  dipper  by  hand.  This  is  then  dumped  into  the 
cars.  When  the  next  ore  train  arrives  it  simply  pushes 
the  dump  cars  out  of  the  way,  loads  and  again  spots 
the  cars  and  pulls  out.  When  rock  is  loaded  into  the 
cars  with  the  ore  there  is  sometimes  a  slight  delay  when 
the  two  workmen  on  the  cars  jump  down  to  pick  it  out. 
If  there  is  much  of  it,  or  if  it  has  to  be  sledged,  the 
loading  must  be  stopped  while  the  men  finish  their  work 
and  get  out  of  the  way.  In  such  cases  the  full  dipper 
is  held  just  clear  of  the  car,  while  the  men  move  aside, 
immediately  after  which  the  swing  is  completed.  This 
delay  does  not  amount  to  much  for  each  swing,  since  it 
is  only  a  few  seconds  long,  but  if  much  rock  should  be 
loaded  with  the  ore  the  delay  might  amount  to  several 
dippers  full  per  day. 

190 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

GENERAL  Work  is  seldom  stopped  by  rain  and  it  may 
be  said  that  during  the  shipping  season 
the  loading  of  ore  is  never  interrupted  because  of  the 
weather.  Of  course,  an  occasional  shower  of  great 
severity  might  cause  temporary  suspension  of  work,  but 
the  crew  would  not  leave  the  shovel  for  such  cause. 
The  mines  are  comparatively  dry  until  the  bottom  of 
the  ore  is  reached,  as  water  goes  through  it  easily,  and 
all  of  the  deep  pits  are  underdrained  by  means  of  shafts 
sunk  in  them  and  kept  dry  by  pumps. 

REPORT  No.  21   —  SHOVEL  No.  710 

INSPECTED   SEPTEMBER   5,    1909 
CHISHOLM,    MINN. 

MATERIAL  Shovel  No.  710  was  engaged  in  stock 
pile  work  for  the  Oliver  Iron  Mining 
Company.  The  stock  pile  had  been  accumulating  for 
two  years  and  was  some  35  feet  high.  It  was  about  as 
ideal  a  material  to  work  in  as  could  be  desired.  Two 
shafts  of  the  Monroe  mine  furnished  the  ore  for  the 
stock  pile.  Some  trouble  was  caused  by  piles  of  lagging 
that  fell  down  in  front  of  the  dipper.  This  had  been 
used  to  make  a  solid  base  for  the  end  dump  cars  to  run 
upon.  The  ore  was  soft  and  in  small  pieces.  There 
was  no  frost  and  a  full  dipper  was  obtained  at  each 
swing.  It  might  be  expected  that  with  such  a  high 
pile  there  would  be  trouble  due  to  burying  of  the  jack, 
but  here  the  cave-in  always  occurred  ahead  of  the  dipper 
and  caused  no  trouble. 

PERFORMANCE     A   very  good    morning's    work   was 
observed,  fifty-eight  cars  in  all,  forty- 
nine  being   5o-ton  steel  cars  and  nine  3  5 -ton  wooden 
cars.     The  afternoon's  work  was  delayed  by  one  of  the 

191 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

large  steel  cars  getting  off  the  track.  It  was  loaded, 
and  nothing  could  be  done  until  the  section  gang  came 
up.  Meanwhile  the  string  of  empties  was  taken  out  and 
no  more  work  was  done  that  afternoon. 


Cross-section  of  F>ank 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel Bucyrus,  QO-ton 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Steel  lip 

Height  of  lift,  steel  cars  12';  wood  cars,  10'  4";  size  of  ties,  6"x8", 

and  5"  x  7". 

Size  of  bucket 2%  yards 

Age  of  shovel     . 4^  years 

Duration  of  job:  will  last  only  until  present  cut  is  finished;  time, 

about  two  weeks. 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

192 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS—  Continued 

How  supplies  are  handled  (coal  and  water) :  Coal  is  brought  up 

by  team  and  shoveled  into  bunkers.     Water  pumped  from 

tank. 
How  and  when  repairs  are  made  :  Repairs  made  on  Sunday  by 

regular  crew. 

Coal  used 4/^  tons  in  10  hours 

f  Black,  5  gallons  in  10  hours. 
...  J  Engine,  i  gallon  in  10  hours. 

1 V Cylinder,  2  gallons  in  IP  hours. 

[Cup  grease,  5  gallons  in  two  weeks. 

Water  used 7700  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  second  Sunday. 

Number  of  working  and  rainy  days :   Weather  did  not  make  as 

much  difference  as  car  supply.     Total  per  cent  of  lost  and 

idle  days  not  obtainable. 

Kind  of  track,  i.  e.,  gauge,  etc.:  Standard  gauge,  6o-pound. 
Kind  and  size  of  cars  used :    Steel,  5<D-ton   capacity.     Wooden, 

35-ton  capacity. 
Steel  cars:  U.  S.  Standard  Pressed  Steel  Car  Company;  Pressed 

Steel  Car  Company. 
Wooden  cars:     American  Car  &  Foundry  Company;    Pullman 

Company. 

How  train  is  braked :   By  air,  hand  signals. 
Kind  and  size  of  dinkey:  Standard  locomotive  about  6o-ton. 
Length  of  haul  varies,  but  around  2000'. 

Number  of  trains i 

Weather,  clear  and  cool. 
Shovel  has  swing  jacks. 

Moved  forward 36'  during  day 

Hoist  engine  cylinders         14"  x  16" 

Swing  engine  and  crane  engine         9"  x    9" 

Side  cut. 

Dipper  of  larger  capacity  might  easily  be  used.      Cut  dry  and 

clean. 

TIME   STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

wStarted  work  7:00:00  1:00:00 

Stopped  work  12:00:00  2:42:05 

Min.        Min.  Sec. 

Total  time  worked  300  +102    5  =  6  hours  42  minutes 

5  seconds. 

193 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      
Waiting  for  cars    
Moving  shovel       
Miscellaneous  delays 
Picking  lagging  out  of  pit     . 
Fixing  block  for  wheels   . 
Oiling  (3  men)  
Other  delays       

278 

77 
27 

8 
3 

5 

40 
35 

5 
3° 

15 

69.3 

'9-3 
6.7 

2.  I 

0.7 

1-3 

0.6 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

402 

5 

I  00.0 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  Per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner         

$S.oo 

Craneman     
Fireman        
6  pitmen 

lee 

2.40 

Q    OO 

i  trimmer 

I     SO 

$21.50 

Number  of  carloads  excavated  on  day  of  observation,  sixty-four 

5o-ton  and  thirteen  35-ton  =  3655  tons. 
Based   on   the   observed  performance,  the  number  of  tons   ex- 

600  minutes 

cavated  per  lo-hour  day     3655  X  —    —  :  —  —  T-  = 

402  minutes  5  seconds 

Number  of  cubic  yards  excavated  per  lo-hour  day  (2  tons  per 
yard)  2728. 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day,  per  cubic  yard  =  —      — 
per  cubic  yard. 


=  o.  79  cents 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 
i.  Actual  loading 
2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up    .       .     . 
b  Miscellaneous     . 
Charge  to  transporting 
Waiting  for  cars  . 

278 

27 

18 

77 

40 

5 
45 

35 

69.3 

6.7 

4-7 

19.3 

0.548] 

0.053  I 
0.037] 

0.152 

0.638 

o.  152 

402 

5 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

0.790 

194 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


ACTUAL    RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds  _  64,150 
Coal    consumption,    pounds        9,000 


=  7.12. 


Time  Study  Deductions 

Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

50 

40 
IO 

o 

24.4 

Time    of   moving   up, 
shovel  idle     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train,  loading 
Time  per  dipper    . 
Number     of     dippers 
per  move 
Number     of     dippers 
per  train    .... 
Number    of     dippers 
per  car     .... 

6 
6 

7 
10 

5 

2 

18 
6 

8 

35 

5 
35 
3° 

21  .2 

4 

46 
10 

27 

31 

16 

52 

22.4 

7 

77 
H 
42 

6 
10 

5i 

24 

117.5 

72 

9-35 

205 
97 

Number  of  trains  loaded 
Number  of  cars  loaded 


IO 

77 


Train 
Number 

Steel  Cars 

Wood  Cars 

' 

I 

8 

2 

2 

7 

3 

3 

8 

2 

4 

2 

I 

Cars  per  train      .     .     .     ,     .-  •< 

6 

10 

9 

O 

I 

7 

5 

O 

8 

6 

3 

9 

5 

o 

I 

10 

4 

i 

Total     .... 

64 

13 

HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


x*/   /j  fhe  /oadino  frac/t 

J5  /j  /&r  fracA  for  er*/>/'irs 

C  /J  //re   /racfr    for  /yaa'ffo'  cars 

7f~a//fJ     of  /o  cfftff/es   are  fafo/t  from  £  fy  stv/fc/t  f/f- 

y//re  and  ruff  c6>i*/r  to  JH//&A   a/rd  run  bacfr    ox  4 

/o    f/re  shove]    W/rc#  /oadfd  /4ef  are 

on  fa  C  Q/rJ  Me*    a//ow«j  fi>  co//tcf.  /i  yard 

fa/tej  /oae/ed  carj    frotff  C  dow*  /"  /#<r  /*»// 

•s/d/na  and  Ars/taj  Aack  e/ffff/fj   ott/o  £• 


1 

1 

J; 

1 

TRACK  LA/OUT 
BUCy/WS  STEAM  SHOVEL 


7/0 


196 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Figs.  47  and  48.     go-ton  Bucyrus  Shovel  at  Work  on  Stock  Pile  of  Oliver 
Mining  Company,  Chisholm,  Minn. 

197 


H  A  N  I)  B  O  O  K    OF    STEAM      S  H  O  V  E  L    W  O  R  K 

REPORT  No.  22         SHOVEL   No.  719 

INSPECTED  AUGUST  7  AND  8,   1909 
AMASA,  MICH. 

LOCATION  Shovel  No.  719  belongs  to  the  Verona 
Iron  Mining  Company,  of  Stambaugh, 
Mich.  At  the  time  of  this  investigation  the  shovel  had 
been  leased  to  the  Iron  Mining  Company,  at  Amasa," 
for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  up  the  stock  pile  at  that 
place.  Runner,  craneman  and  fireman  went  with 
shovel. 

SHOVEL  It  took  one  day  to  set  up  the  shovel  after 
its  journey  from  Stambaugh,  and  another 
half  day  to  put  on  a  new  lip.  The  usual  style  of  "lip" 
employed  in  stock  pile  work  is  of  manganese  steel.  But 
the  one  that  had  been  ordered  for  this  shovel  did  not 
fit,  and  so  an  ordinary  mild  steel  lip,  minus  the  teeth, 
was  attached.  The  boom  of  this  shovel  was  supported 
by  two  cables  instead  of  the  customary  eye-bars. 

MATERIAL  The  ore  in  the  stock  pile  was  soft,  without 
frost,  and  furnished  very  easy  digging. 
The  posts  used  in  forming  the  trestle  work  were  pulled 
up  by  the  shovel  by  means  of  a  chain  wrapped 
around  the  pole  and  secured  to  the  dipper,  and  after- 
ward swung  in  alongside  the  shovel.  Usually  these 
poles  could  be  removed  between  trains  and  so  cause  no 
extra  delay.  Three  and  a  half  minutes  was  the  observed 
time  for  one  of  these  operations.  Because  the  ore  was 
slightly  undercut,  one  man  was  kept  on  the  pile  with  a 
pick  to  loosen  the  bank  and  so  prevent  the  jack  from 
becoming  buried  after  the  shovel  moved  forward.  This 
man  also  manipulated  the  chain  used  in  the  removal  of 
the  posts.  Between  trains,  when  not  pulling  posts,  the 

198 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

runner  would  "claw"  in  toward  the  main  pile  as  much 
of  the  ore  lying  near  the  loading  track  as  possible. 
Whatever  ore  the  runner  could  not  thus  handle  was  shov- 
eled into  the  dipper  by  the  pitmen.  In  this  way  a  clean 
trail  was  left  by  the  shovel  and  very  little  ore  wasted. 


Typical  Cross-section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel joC 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth        Bucyrus  lip  minus  the  teeth 

Height  of  lift 9l/2r 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel,  6"  x  8".     Ties  had  arrangement  for 

slipping  in  rail  as  before  described  (see  Fig.  51)  on  1106. 

Size  of  bucket 2  ^  yards 

Age  of  shovel 'v Fifth  season 

Duration  of  job At  Amasa,  Mich.,  9  days 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

Coal  is  brought  by  team  and  shoveled  out  of  the  wagon  into 

the  bunker.     Distance  about  200  yards. 
Repairs  small,  and  made  while  waiting  for  cars. 
Coal  used 2%  tons  per  day  of  10  hours 

50.78  gallon  in  i  day  (black) 
0.44  gallon  in  i  day  (cylinder) 
0,22  gallon  in  i  day  (kerosene) 

199 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  W  O  R  K 


OBSERVATIONS-  Continued 

Water  used    .          No  record,  but  about  3500  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  once  a  week  while  waiting  for  cars. 

Kind  of  track,  weight  of  rail,  gauge,  etc.  Standard  gauge,  50- 
pound  rail. 

Kind  and  size  of  cars  used.  Cars,  40  tons  capacity ;  weight, 
37.5  tons;  estimate  by  maker;  kind,  wooden. 

The  train  is  braked  by  air. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey.  One  switch  engine,  American  loco- 
motive about  40  tons ;  one  line  engine  to  bring  in  empties. 
Saturday,  August  7,  shovel  began  working  after  luncheon  at 
1:30  and  worked  until  3:31:20,  when  cars  gave  out  and  no 
more  until  the  8th. 

Weather,  raining  almost  all  day  Aug.  8. 

NOTE.  —  The  shovel  had  been  brought  over  to  Amasa  from 
Stambaugh.  It  had  been  at  Amasa  9  days.  The  office  gave 
the  following  data : 

Shovel  at  Amasa    .    9  days  ;  excavated  17,850  tons 

Actual  hours  worked 59  hours 

Delays  due  to  setting  up  shovel,  taking  off  old  lip  and  putting 
on  new,  and  waiting  for  cars  to  come  to  mine.  (Do  not 
include  time  between  trains). 

Delays     Setting  up       .      i  day 
New  lip     .     .      l/2  day 
No  cars      .     .      i  ^  days 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


Total  time  under  observation 


8  hours  51  minutes  40  seconds. 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

9:37:5  (1:04:15)   (1:30=00) 

12:01:00  (5:30:4o)  (3:3I:2°) 

Min.    Sec.        Min.    Sec.        Min.  Sec. 

143     55  +  266    25  +  121     20  = 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  
Waiting  for  cars  
Moving  shovel  
Miscellaneous  delays  .  .  . 

3IO 
154 

63 

3 

26 

19 

2O 

35 

58.4 
29  o 

II.9 

0.7 

Total  time  under  observation 

531 

40 

IOO.O 

200 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  Per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner      

$c    oo 

Craneman      
Fireman    

3.60 
2    4.O 

4  pitmen 

6    OO 

$17.00 

Number  of  tons  excavated  per  day  (average  of  6  days)  3000  tons. 
Number  of  cubic   yards  loaded  per  day  (average  of  6  days,  2 

tons  per  yard,)  1500. 
Cost  of  labor  per  day  $17.00 

~  =  '    '3  cents  Per  cubic  yd' 


Time 

Cost  in 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Per 

Cent 

Cents  per 
Yard 

Cost 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

310 

26 

58.4 

0.660] 

2.  Delays 

I 

O   &<">•? 

a  Moving  up     .     . 
b  Miscellaneous     . 

.63 

3 

2O 

35 

ii  9 

0.7 

°-!34  | 
o.ooSJ 

.  oO2 

Charge    to    transportation 

and  dumping 

I.  Waiting  for  trains  . 

:54 

19 

29.0 

0.328 

0.328 

53i 

40 

IOO.O 

I  .  I3O 

TIME  STUDY  DEDUCTIONS 


Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 
50 

25 
45 
30 
28.9 

Time    of   moving   up, 
shovel  idle     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time    between    trains 
Time  per  train,  loading 
Time  per  dipper     . 
No.  of  dippers  per  move 
No.  of  dippers  per  train 
No.  of  dippers  per  car 

10 

10 
*3 

16 

10 
10 

16 

5 

21 

3 
10 

O 

18 
40 
10 

20.6 

6 

31 
1  1 

J9 

20 

3 
52 
24 

23  9 

7 

4i 

27 

35 

61 

29 

77-9 
48.7 

9-74 

99 
65 

201 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Number  of  trains  loaded 
Number  of  cars  loaded 

Number  of  cars  per  train    . 


16 

80 

(  14  trains  of  5  cars  each. 

|     i  train  of  7  cars. 

(     i  train  of  3  cars. . 


ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds       29,160 
Coal  consumption,  pounds  5°°° 


=  5.83 


Fig.  49.     "Clawing"  between  trains 
202 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Tracks  ^<B  conrerye  o6ouf 
jtooo ft  ff-oar  e/rd  or  <j 


203 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  50.     Method  of  Chucking  Shovel 


Fie.  51.    View  Showing  Method  of  Removing  Old  Trestle  Post  from  Stock  Pile 
(See  page  198) 

204 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  23      -  SHOVEL  No.  707 

INSPECTED  JULY  27,  1909 
NEGAUNEE,  MICH. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      This  shovel  belongs  to  the 

Cleveland  Cliffs  Iron  Mining 

Company,  and  at  the  time  of  this  investigation  was  en- 
gaged in  stock  pile  work  at  the  Negaunee  mine. 

MATERIAL  The  ore  was  badly  frozen  in  spots,  making 
very  tough  digging.  It  was  so  hard  sev- 
eral times  that  the  runner  threatened  to  stop  work  until 
the  ore  could  be  blasted.  As  is  usually  the  case,  the 
ore  had  been  stocked  on  planking.  In  the  Maas  mine 
about  a  mile  distance,  and  operated  by  the  same  com- 
pany, a  65-ton  shovel  was  used  in  similar  stock  pile  work. 
The  shovel  crew  worked  part  of  the  time  on  one 
shovel  and  part  on  the  other,  according  to  the  grade  of 
ore  needed. 


.  \ 


-30'- 

Typical  Cross-section  of  Bank 

205 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

TRANSPORTATION     One  engine  spotted  the  cars  and 
also  pulled  them  out  to  the  main 

line  siding  after  loading.  It  is  the  common  practice 
for  the  engine  to  bring  in  a  certain  number  of  cars,  and, 
after  loading,  to  take  out  the  same  number.  But  here, 
probably  on  account  of  the  steep  grade  shown  in  "  track 
lay  out,"  trains  were  broken  and  two  or  three  loaded 
cars  taken  out  at  a  time. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  shovel Bucyrus,  7O-ton 

Distance  of  move 5' 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  lip 

Lift 10'  high 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel         6"  x  8" 

Number  of  buckets  to  car  and  to  each  move :   1 2  dippers  to  each 

5o-ton  car;  about  7  dippers  to  each  3O-ton  wood  car. 
Shovel  in  use  4)4  years. 
Job  started  June,  1909. 
Shift,  10  hours. 
One  shift  per  day- 
Water  is  pumped  from  boiler  house,  in  a  pipe  which  terminates 

in  a  flexible  rubber  hose,  a  distance  of  200  yards.     Coal  is 

drawn  up  to  shovel  in  a  wagon  and  shoveled  directly  into 

hopper. 

Coal  used i^  to  2  tons  in  10  hours 

(  Valve,     2z/Tt  quarts  10  hours 

Oil  used )  Black,     i^  quarts  10  hours 

(  Engine,  \yz  quarts  10  hours 

Water  used About  3000  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  fourth  Sunday. 

Kind  of  track,  i.  e.,  weight  of  rails,  gauge,  etc.:  Standard  gauge  ; 

'  5o-pound  rail. 
Kind  and  size  of  cars  used :  Steel,  50  tons,  Pressed  Steel  Car 

Company;  wooden,  30  tons,  L.  S.  and  I.  R.  R. 
Train  is  braked  by  air.     Hand  signals  used. 
Kind  and  size  of  dinkey:  Pittsburg  locomotive,  1896,  65  tons. 

No  other  spotting  engine  than  one  mentioned. 
Weather,  clear  and  warm. 

206 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 


Forenoon 
10:37:00 
11:36:15 


Afternoon 
12:36:15 
4:57:30 


Min.   Sec.  Min.     Sec. 

Total  time  worked  =     59     15     +     261      15     =   5  hours 

20  minutes  30  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  
Waiting  for  cars  .... 
Moving  shovel  
Miscellaneous  delays 

I48 
139 

25 

7 

18 

2O 

5° 

46.2 

43-5 
7-9 
2.4 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

320 

3° 

IOO 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner 

$c.oo 

Craneman 

3.60 

Fireman 

2.40 

6  pitmen            .                  .      .                       .                  . 

9.OO 

$2O.OO 

Number  of  cars  loaded  on  day  of  observation,  46,  at  average  of 
40  tons. 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation  (2  tons  per  cubic  yard)  = 


Based  upon  the  observed  performance  the  cubic  yards  loaded 

per   10-hour  day  =  92°  x6oo=I72O 
320/2 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  _  $20.00  _  i  .16  cents    per    cubic 
Number  cubic  yards  per  day         1720    ~        yard 


207 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Time 

Cost  per        Total 

Process   Analysis 

Per 

Yard             Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents         Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

I48 

2 

46.2 

0.5361 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up     .     . 
b  Miscellaneous     . 

25 

7 

20 

5° 

7-9 
2-4 

o.'o28j 

Charge  to  transporting 

i.   Waiting  for  cars   . 

J39 

18 

43-5 

0.504 

0.504 

320 

3° 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

1  .  1  60 

TIME  STUDY  DEDUCTIONS 


Number 
of 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Obser- 
vations 

Min 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of   moving    up, 

shovel  idle 

7 

2 

45 

3 

37 

4 

5° 

Time  between  moves, 

shovel  working 

5 

23 

55 

25 

55 

3° 

5° 

Time    between    trains 

9 

3 

5 

8 

31 

16 

20 

Time  per  train,  load- 

ing*    .      .           .     . 

Time  per  dipper    . 

7 

20.5 

24.1 

28.9 

Number     of     dippers 

per  move 

5 

54 

63 

72 

Average     number     of 

tons  per  dipper 

5-°3 

,  *  Time  per  train  could  not  be  obtained  owing  to  the  erratic 
nature  of  the  engine's  work. 


ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds  2C,ooo 

- — - —  --=8.33  to  6.25 

Coal    consumption,    pounds  3,000  to  4,000 


208 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CLEVELAND-CLIFFS  IRON  COMPANY. 

NEGAUNEE  MINE        STEAM  SHOVEL  REPORT. 

No.  7 

Form  125-1M-4-07- I.O.  1QQ 


TIME    SPENT 
(HOURS) 


WORKING      DELAYS 


WHERE 
WORKING 


NUMBER 
OF  CARS 
LOADED 


NUMBER 
OF  TONS 


GRADE 
OF  ORE 


NO. OF 


CAUSE  OF  DELAY 


TIME  OF  DELAY 


MINUTES  HOUR 


Waiting  for  cars__ 


Waiting  foreugine. 


Moving  Slu.vel. 


Track  work 


Switching.... 


Remarks: . 


Report  must  be  sent  to  office  PKOMPTL  V  every  morning. 
All  delays  and  time  lost  must  be  accurately  reported. 

209 


Engineer. 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Figs.  52  and  53.     70-ton  Bucyrus  Shovel  at  Work  on  Stock  Pile  of  Cleveland 
Cliffs  Iron  Company,  Negaunee,  Mich. 


211 


H  A  N  I)  B  O  O  K    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

REPORT  No.  24 --SHOVEL  No.  1127 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER   10  AND   n,   1909 
IRONWOOD,   MICH. 

MATERIAL     This    shovel,    a    70  C,    was    engaged    in 
Hematite  ore  stock  pile  work.    The  func- 
tion of  the  so-called  "  stock  pile  "  is  to  keep  the  mine 
running  at  its  full  capacity  the  year  round. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      During  the  navigation  sea- 
son the  mined  ore  is  brought 

up  in  skips  from  below,  dumped  into  the  two  pockets 
and  thence  into  the  ore  cars.  The  loaded  cars  are 
then  hauled  to  the  docks  and  dumped  into  the  pockets 
there.  From  here  it  runs  by  gravity  into  the  ore  vessels. 
When  navigation  closes  and  it  is  no  longer  possible  to 
ship  ore,  work  is  begun  on  the  stock  pile.  The  principle 
of  construction  is  much  like  that  of  an  immense  fill 
on  railroad  work.  The  ore  is  mined  and  brought  up  in 
skips  and  dumped  into  the  pockets  as  usual.  From 
here  it  is  dropped  into  cars,  which  are  run  out  upon 
the  trestle  work  and  dumped.  Usually  planking  is  laid 
on  the  ground  to  receive  the  ore.  Stock  piles,  of  course, 
vary  in  size  according  to  the  output  of  the  mine.  This 
one  was  exceptionally  large,  being  some  900  feet  in 
length  and  almost  30  feet  high.  An  important  feature 
oi;  a  large  stock  pile  is  that  it  permits  the  use  of  a  long 
train  and  materially  reduces  the  lost  time  due  to  switch- 
ing. The  ore  thus  stored  in  winter  is  loaded  into  cars 
during  the  navigation  season  by  steam  shovels. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Type  shovel Bucyrus  70-1011 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Bucyrus,  manganese  lip 

Height  of  lift         10' 

212 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


OBSERVATIONS—  Continued 


yards,  4.27  tons  average 

.     Set  up  in  May,  1909 

First  season 

10  hours 


Size  of  bucket 

Age  of  shovel 

Duration  of  job  .      . 

Length  of  shift 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

Supplies  are  handled:    Coal  hauled  by  team  as  shown  in  Fig.  54. 

Haul  about  1500'. 
Water  pumped  from  boiler  house. 
Repairs  are  made  by  regular  crew ;  immediately  for  important 

ones ;  others  at  odd  times. 

Coal  used         About  2j^  tons  in  10  hours 

Oil  used Black,  0.55  gallons  ;  cylinder,  0.89 

gallon;  engine,  0.66  gallon,  in  10  hours. 

Water  used 4500  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  cleaned  once  in  four  weeks,  on  Sunday. 

Cost  of  repairs       .      .      4  hours  (reported)  in  23  days  at  $2.18  an 

hour,  equals  38  cents  a  day. 

Kind  of  track         45-pound,  standard  gauge 

American  Car  and'Foundry  Co.  steel  ore  cars,  capacity  40  tons, 

but  carrying  47  tons  each. 
Train  is  braked  by  air. 
Hand  signals  used. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey :    Fairly  heavy  switch  engine  is  used. 
One  engine  for  spotting. 
All  repairs  to  cars  and   engine  made    by  railroad  company  by 

whom  they  are  owned. 


r 


Cross-section  of  Bank 
Typical  Cross-section 


-28'— 


213 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

TIME  STUDY 

The  shovel  did  not  work  on  the  nth,  the  day  that  time 
study  was  to  have  been  made,  so  the  deductions  are  made  from 
the  following  office  record. 

OFFICE    RECORD    OF    SHOVEL 


Date 

Cars 
47  Tons 

Switch- 
ing 
Min. 

Moving 

Shovel 
Min 

Miscel- 
laneous 
Min. 

Time  Worked 
Hours 

August  9 

85 

103 

75 

75 

10 

August  7 

78 

89 

84 

(    15  (0 

\     79 

10 

August  6 

80 

"3 

89 

54 

10 

August  5 

67 

9Q 

94 

1  no  (2) 
\     So 

10 

August  4 

66 

121 

88 

44 

10 

August  3 

53 

148 

69 

140 

10 

July      20 
July      19 

58 
69 

188 
132 

£ 

60 

83 

IOI 

10 

IO 

July      17 

68 

140 

64 

101 

IO 

July      13 
July      12 

64 
62 

56 
*35 

54 
70 

2I5 
97 

IO 
10 

July        8 

July      9 

81 
67 

IO2 
69 

90 
6S 

141 
J47 

IO 
IO 

July        7 

56 

66 

68 

J    35  (3) 
/  160 

IO 

July       4 

69 

42 

54 

1    I5 

|I27 

IO 

June     30 

48 

83 

70 

65 

IO* 

June     25 

40 

53 

52 

2IO 

IO 

Blast  often 

June      22 

5i 

106 

48 

no 

IO 

June     21 

56 

60 

58 

J  105  (4) 
1    53 

10 

June     12 

60 

67 

66 

IOO 

IO 

June     ii 

74 

73 

78 

1  Noon(5) 

"i      20 

IO 

July        6 

July      3 

70 
58 

83 
91 

73 
58 

167 

120 

IO 
IO 

Total     .     . 

1480 

2219 

1583           1       2750 

230 

Average     . 

64-3 

921A 

69                              120 

IO 

(i)     Small  repair  item,  15  minutes.     No  cause  given. 

(2^     Cable  on  swing  engine  broke,  causing  delay  of  i  hour  and  55  minutes. 

(3)  Nipple  on  exhaust  of  crane  engine  broke,  causing  delay  of  35  minutes. 

(4)  Putting  new  stud  in  pillow  block  of  main  engine,  causing  delay  of  2 
hours  and  45  minutes. 

(s)    Replacing  clutch  on  propeller  shaft,  delay,  i  hour. 
Note — Average  time  moving  up,  8  minutes. 
*Pick  bank,  car  shortage  on  this  day. 

DEDUCTIONS  FROM  ABOVE  DATA 

Number  of  days  worked 23 

Total  tons  output 69,560 

Tons  per  day 3,024 


214 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Time  Lost,  Average  per  Day 

Hours 

M  inutes 

Seconds 

Moving  up        

I 

9 

Switching    .      

I 

32.5 

Miscellaneous  delays,  including 

repairs      

2 

Total  delay       

4 

4i.5 

Actual  shovel  time    .... 

5 

18.5 

Actual  shovel  time,  per  ton 

6-33 

Actual  shovel  time,  47-ton    car 

4 

57 

Actual  shovel  time,  dipper 

•    • 

27 

Number  of  tons  per  dipper,  4.27.     n  dippers  equal  i  car. 

Counting  in  all  delays 10  hours  per  day 

Time  per  ton i\.g  seconds 

Time  per  car  : 9   minutes  20  seconds 

Time  per  dipper 50.8  seconds 

TIME    STUDY 


Average  of  23  Days 

Minutes 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

318.5 

C7      I 

Changing  trains 

02.  C 

I  c   4 

Moving  shovel  
Miscellaneous  delays 

69 

.    1  2O 

"•5 
2O.  O 

Total  time  under  observation     .      .  *  . 

600 

100.  0 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Engineer                                                         .      .     .      ; 

$5.OO 

Crane  man 

3  60 

Fireman 

2.40 

6  pitmen                                                                .            . 

9.00 

20.00 

Tons   excavated  per  day    (average  23  days),  3,024.     Two  tons 

per  yard,   1512  cubic  yards  per  day. 
Cost  of  labor  per  day,  $20.00. 

$20.00 
Cost   of  labor  per   day,   per    cubic   yard   (load    only) — — 

1.32  cents  per  cubic  yard. 


215 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


PROCESS     ANALYSIS 


Process  Anal)  sis 

Time' 

Per  Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 

Total 

Min.     Sec. 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

| 

i.  Actual  loading   . 

318        3° 

53-i 

0.701] 

2.  Delays 

1 

a  Moving  up 

60. 

"•5 

0.152   [ 

I.I17 

b  Repairs 

120 

20.  o 

0.264  J 

c   Miscellaneous 

Charge  to  transportation 

I.   Waiting  for  cars 

92 

3° 

15-4 

0.203 

0.203 

600 

IOO 

I.320 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 
Water  consumption,  pounds       37,500 
Coal  consumption,  pounds    " "    5,000 


=   7-5 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


NEWPORT  MINING  COMPANY, 

STEAM  SHOVEL  REPORT. 
SHAFT-— 

GRADE.  190.. 

NO.  HEX  —  . 


TIME 

CARS 

TONS 

DELAYS 

S 

B 

Repairing 

Switching 

Cars 

Move 
Shovel 

Miscellaneous 

7  to  8 

8  to  9 

9  to  10 

10  to  11 

11  to  12 

12  to  1 

1  to  2 

2  to  3 

3  to  4 

4  to  5 

5  to  6 

6  to  7 

7  to  8 

8  to  9 

TOTAL 

Condition  of  Stockpile . 
KEMAEKS:.... 


.ENGINEER. 


217 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


218 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Fig.  55-      View  Showing  Method  of  Forming  Stock  Pile 


219 


II  A  N  D  B  O  O  K    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL     W  O  R  K 

REPORT  No.  25— SHOVEL  No.  1142 

INSPECTED  AUGUST  6,   1909 
STAMBAUGH,  MICH. 


GENERAL  CONDITIONS     This  shovel,  a  7 o  C,  is  owned 

by  the  Munro  Iron  Mining 
Company  and  was  purchased  for  stock  pile  work. 


PERFORMANCE  The  shovel  was  new  in  the  summer 
of  1909  and  at  the  time  of  the  inspec- 
tion had  worked  eighteen  days  with  an  output  of  34,590 
tons.  Unfortunately  this  time  the  shovel  was  not  work- 
ing and  so  no  timing  could  be  done.  However,  the 
superintendent  stated  that  it  averaged  half  time  at  actual 
work.  The  best  run  the  shovel  had  made  in  one  day 
was  88  cars  of  38  tons  each. 


J 


—  7L- 


29'- 


Cross-section  of  Bank.     Typical  Cross-section 
220 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  Shovel 7o-ton  Bucyrus 

Material        Soft  Hematite  ore 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Steel  lip 

Lift 9'  high 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel 6"  x  8" 

Size  of  bucket        2>£.-yard 

Age  of  shovel        First  season 

Job  ran  18  days. 

Shift,  10  hours. 

One  shift  per  day. 

Coal  is  generally  hauled  about  100  feet  by  team. 

Water  is  pumped  from  boiler  house. 

Repairs  are  generally  made  by  regular  crew  while  waiting  for  cars. 

Coal  used 2  tons  running  %  of  a  day 

Water  used About  3000  gallons 

Cost  of  repairs    .      .     Slight.     Broken  stems  to  oil  cups  gave  the 
most  trouble. 

Kind  of  track Standard  gauge  ;  about  45  pounds 

Use  Williamson  &  Pries  cars      Average  38  tons  capacity. 

Train  is  braked  by  air. 

Hand  signals  are  used 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey     .      .      .     One  light  switch  engine  used 

Weather Clear,  but  shovel  not  working 


TIME  STUDY 


Days  worked 
Total  output 


.      .          18 
34,590  tons 


Minutes 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  (average  18  days) 

300 

5° 

•1117  •  •       e               c  (average  18  days) 

!5° 

25 

Moving  shovel              )  , 
Miscellaneous  delays  \  <averaSe  l8  days> 

150 

25 

Total  time  per  day  (average)      .... 

600 

IOO 

HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  Per  Day 

Standard 
Basis 

Runner 

$c    QO 

Crane  man 

ffi^.vv 
1    60 

Fireman 

2    4O 

4  pitmen 

6  oo 

$17.00 


Number  of  tons  loaded  per  day  (average  of  18  days)    .      .     1922 
Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  (2  tons  per  yard)    .       961 

Cost  of  labor  per  day  $17  oo 

Number  of  cubic  yds.  per  day  =^6T=  ' '  77  cents  Per  cubic  ^ 


Time 

Per 

Cost  per 
Y?rd 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.   Actual  loading 

300 

OO 

5O.O 

0.885    1 

2.    Delays 
a  Moving  up     .      .       i 

1 

r 

1.3275 

b  Repairs   . 

j  CQ 

OO 

25.0 

0.4425] 

c  Miscellaneous     .      ) 

Charge    to    transportation 

i  .    Waiting  for  cars 

1S° 

OO 

25.0 

0.4425 

0.4425 

600 

00 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

1.7700 

ACTUAL  RATIO 

Water  consumed,  pounds 25,000 


Coal  consumed,  pounds 


4,000 


=  6.25 


222 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TrcjffeW*. 


CX&<Y><3>< 


I  I  |* 

i-^'T-*v 
I         |* 

\//efffaf^Ore\ 
\3foc^fl/e-  \ 


oo 


13 


&& 


TRACK  LAyour 


6-6-09* 


223 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  56      Bucyrus  Shovel  No   1142  at  Starnbaugh,  Mich. 


Fig   57-     View  showing  rocks  encountered  by  Shovel  No.  1124  in  Mine 
Stripping  at  Michagamme,  Mich. 


224 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  26  — SHOVEL  No.   1124 

INSPECTED  JULY  29  and  31,  1909 

HOOSE  &  PERSON,  CONTRACTORS 

MICHIGAMME,  MICH. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS      This    shovel    was    installed 

about  the  middle  of  March 

and  began  work  about  the  first  of  April.  This  mine  said 
to  be  the  first  in  Michigan  to  use  the  steam 
shovel  for  open  pit  work.  The  ore  was  covered  with  a 
lo-foot  layer  of  earth,  which  had  to  be  stripped.  Pit 
stripping  was  hardpan  and  boulders.  Standard  gauge 
Oliver  dump  cars  of  6^  yards  capacity  were  used. 

PERFORMANCE  The  contractors  stated  that  an  aver- 
age of  800  yards  was  stripped  each 
day  of  ten  hours.  The  principal  drawback  to  a  larger 
output  was  poor  train  service,  which  seems  to  be  the 
chief  difficulty  at  most  of  the  mines  visited.  The  large 
masses  of  rock  and  boulders  encountered  offered  no 
difficulties  at  all.  Boulders  up  to  3  and  4  yards  each 
were  tossed  aside  with  the  greatest  ease.  It  is  much 
like  working  in  an  immense  borrow  pit.  The  contractor 
estimated  that  moving  back  500  feet  and  cutting  in 
would  take  the  regular  crew  and  two  extra  pitmen  5 
hours ;  throwing  track  and  putting  in  shape  for  train, 
fifteen  men  5  hours. 


Cross-section  of  Bank.     Typical  Cross-section 
225 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel 70  C 

Material Soft  Hematite  ore,  in  natural  bed 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Panama 

Height  of  lift 1 1 ' 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel,  6"  x  S".       Hand  spikes  in   end  and 

when  moving  shovel  2  pitmen  carried  two  ties,  one  end  of 

each  in  each  hand. 

Size  of  bucket 2)4  yards 

Age  of  shovel New  April,  1909 

Duration  of  job Began  April  ist 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

How  supplies  are  handled.     Water  pumped  from  well  100  yards 

away. 
Repairs  made  by  regular  crew  while  waiting  for  cars,  or  at  night. 

Coal  used i  %  to  2  tons  per  day  of  10  hours 

n.,          ,  (  Black,    3    quarts   in    10   hours 

1    |  Valve,  2%  quarts  in  10  hours 

Water  used 3000  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  two  weeks  at  night. 

Cost  of  repairs  large,      i   set  of  Panama  teeth  per  month,  $100. 

Also  50  cents  a  day  for  small  items. 


Contract  price  : 

a.  .  (  Hardpan,  40  cents  a  yard 

StrlPPmg ]  Rock     .     55  cents  a  yard 

,..   .  Ore        .        30  cents  a  ton 

Mmm*        -JRock    .     60  cents  a  yard 

Contract  includes   putting   ore   in   cars,  stripping  and  dumping. 

Kind  of  track Standard  gauge,  5o-pound  rail 

Kind  and  size  of  cars  used :  American  Car  and  Foundry  Co.  ore 
car,  30  tons  ;  American  Car  and  Foundry  Co.  ore  car,  20  tons ; 
D.,  S.  S.  &  A.  R.  R.  ore  car,  25  tons. 

Train  is  braked  by  air. 

Kind  of  signals  used :     Hand  signals,  brakeman  on  bank. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey,    D.,  S.  S.  &  A.  R.  R.    35-ton  yard  engine 

Length  of  haul 1500'  to  empty  cars 

One  engine  used. 

Cars  and  engine  are  owned  by  the  railroad  company,  who 

see  to  all  repairs. 

Weather Clear  and  windy 

226 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work                 8:31:50  12:45:30             12:38:20 

Stopped  work             11:38:45  4:41:05               2:04:40 

Min.  Sec  Min.    Sec.        Min.    Sec. 

Total  time  worked        86     20  +  186     55  +  235     35  =  8  hours 
28  minutes  50  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working       
Waiting  for  cars     .                 . 

256 

I  C2 

,      38 
17 

50-4 
30  o 

Moving  shovel  
Miscellaneous  delays 
Chain  off  sheave      

38 

61 

45 
10 

J            s 

7.6 

12.  O 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

508 

5° 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner                                           ...                 . 

$;.OO 

Craneman              .                 .                 .... 

3.6o 

Fireman                        

2.40 

4  pitmen           

6.00 

$17.00 

Cars  loaded  in  twro  days,  119  @  30  tons  =  3570  tons  zn  1785 

tons  per  day.  g 

Cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  (2  tons  per  cubic  yard)  =    '    •>  — 


Cost   of   direct  labor  per   day      $17.00 

—  ?  -  :-;  —  —  —  :  —  -  =  -=  --  =1.90  cents  per  cubic 

No.  of  cubic  yards  per  day          892  .  5 

yard. 


Time 

Cost  per 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Per 
Cent 

Yard  in 
Cents 

Cost 

Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

2S6 

38 

50.4 

0-9581 

2.  Delays 
a    Moving  up    ... 

38 

45 

7-6 

0.144  [ 

1.330 

b    Repairs    .... 

61 

10 

12.  O 

0.228] 

Charge  to  transportation 

Waiting  for  cars  . 

J52 

17 

30.O 

0.570 

0.570 

508 

5° 

IOO.O 

1.900 

227 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


ACTUAL    RATIOS 
Water  consumption,  pounds  25,000 


Coal    consumption,    pounds       3,000  to  4,000 


=  8.33-6.25 


Time  Study  Deductions 

Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving   up, 
shovel  idle     .     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train,  loading 
Time  per  dipper    .     . 

No.ofdipperspermove 
No.  of  dippers  per  train 
No.  of  dippers  per  car 

9 

10 
15 

18 

IO 

1  1 

3 

5 

IO 

40 
30 

4 

25 

IO 

18 

40 
9 
15 
26.5 

6 

43 
28 
28 

5° 

20 
2O 

IO 

18 

28 

56-9 
31.6 

6.77 

87 
54 

Average  tonnage  per  dipper 4-43 

Number  of  trains  loaded 18 

Number  of  cars  loaded 84 


Train 

Number 

2o-Ton 
Cars 

25-Ton 
Cars 

3o-Ton 
Cars 

- 

I 

5 

2 

i 

I 

4 

3 

2 

I 

2 

4 

I 

3 

5 

3 

.  .  • 

. 

6 

5 

7 

2 

3 

8 

3 

2 

Cars  per  train    .     .     .     .  < 

9 

IO 

4 

5 

i 

1  1 

3 

2 

12 

2 

2 

13 

4 

14 

4 

i 

IS 

i 

3 

I 

16 

6 

. 

17 

i 

i 

2 

I 

18 

4 

Total     .      .     . 

.    .    . 

51 

6 

27 

228 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


0/ie  e/tp/rtf      l/jua/  fra/f  /<? 
/trade  v    of  \f cars-s.o-3oT 


TRACK  LAV  OUT 
JTF/WJ&WIL 


C.S-Co  C- 


229 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 


Fig.  58.     i2-ton  Boulder  Encountered  by  Shovel  No. 


230 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  27  --  SHOVEL  No.  1074 

INSPECTED  JULY  30,  1909 
ISHPEMING,  MICH. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS    This  shovel  belongs  to  the 

Pittsburg  and  Lake  Angeline 

Mining  Company,  at  Ishpeming,  Mich.  It  was  engaged 
in  stock  pile  work  similar  to  that  of  Shovel  No.  866, 
page  245.  The  stock  pile  here  was  not  frozen,  and  it 
rested  on  planking  which  greatly  facilitated  moving  up. 
The  height  of  this  stock  pile  was  very  noticeable.  It 
was  at  least  37  feet,  and  caused  considerable  trouble 
because  of  the  overhanging  of  the  bank  when  undercut 
by  the  shovel. 

MOVING  BACK  In  view  of  this  fact  the  method  of 
keeping  a  continuous  track  behind 
the  shovel  was  used,  so  that  it  could  move  back  at  a 
moment's  notice.  This  was  done  by  having  enough 
extra  6-foot  sections  of  .rail  which  could  be  left  be- 
hind in  place  until  the  shovel  had  moved  forward  far 
enough  for  a  regular  full  length  rail  section  to  be  put 
in  by  the  track  gang.  When  the  shovel  became  buried, 
the  first  thing  to  do  was  to  clear  the  jacks,  the  next  to 
move  back,  and  the  last  to  shovel  up  the  fallen  material 
and  then  move  ahead  until  another  slide  occurred. 

TRANSPORTATION      Here  as  at  most  of  the  mines  in 
northern  Michigan,  there  was  one 

engine  to  spot  cars  and  draw  them  out  to  the  main  line 
siding.  Each  day  a  string  of  empties  was  brought  in 
by  a  main  line  engine  and  the  supply  of  cars  for  the 
shovel  was  taken  from  these  by  the  spotting  engine. 

231 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


28' 

Cross-section  of  Bank.     Typical  Cross-section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  lip 

Height  of  lift 9' 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel 6"x8"  and  6"x6" 

Size  of  bucket 2%  yards 

Age  of  shovel Second  season 

Duration  of  job Began  June  3,  1909 

Length  of  shift 10  hours 

Number  of  shifts  per  day i 

Coal  is  brought  up  by  wagon  and  shoveled  into  bunkers.    Water 

from  city  mains. 
Repairs  are  made  by  regular  crew  while  waiting  for  trains,  or  at 

night;  average  about  50  cents  per  day. 

Coal  used 2)4  tons  in  10  hours 

I  Valve,  2   quarts  in  10  hours 

Oil  used -J  Engine,  i  pint  in    10   hours 

(  Black,  \y2  quarts  in  10  hours 

Water  used About  3500  gallons  in  10  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  once  a  month. 

Kind  of  track,  weight  of  rail,  gauge :  Track,  45  pounds  ;   standard 

gauge. 
Kind  and  size  of  cars  used:    5o-ton  P.  S.  Car  Co.  pressed  steel 

cars,  and  L.  S.  and  T.  4O-ton  wood  cars. 

232 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS  —  Continued 

Train  is  braked  by  air. 

Hand  signals  are  used,  brakeman  on  car. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey:  Engine   and   cars  belong  to  railroad 

company,  who  make  all  repairs.     Engine  about  35-ton. 
Length   of  haul :   About  ^  mile   before    empty    cars    could   be 

obtained.    One  spotting  engine  and  one  main  line  engine. 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 
Total  time  worked 


TIME  STUDY 


Forenoon 


10:03:20 
12:00:00 


Afternoon 

!2:57:57 
5:03:00 

116  minutes  40  seconds  +  245  minutes 
3  seconds  =  361  minutes  43  seconds  =  6  hours  i  minute 
43  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      
\Vaiting  for  cars 

121 

222 

41 

33-6 

6l     7 

Moving  shovel 

I  7 

Ul  ./ 
7    6 

Miscellaneous  delays  .... 

1  J 

4 

O 

J'u 
I  .  I 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

361 

43 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner    

$S  oo 

Craneman    ... 

^    60 

Fireman  

2    4.O 

5  pitmen       .... 

7-5° 

$18.50 

Number  of  cars  loaded  on  day  of  observation,  43  @  45    tons 

(average). 
Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation  (2   tons 


=  i  .91  cents  per  cubic  yard 


per  yard)  —  =  967. 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day      $18. 


—  — 

Number  cubic  yards  per  day         967 

233 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Time 

Pei- 

Cost  per 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 
2.  Delays 

121 

4' 

33-6 

0.6421 

a  Moving  up      ... 

13 

22 

3-6 

0.069  | 

°.732 

b  Miscellaneous     . 

4 

I  .  I 

0.021  J 

Charge    to    transportation 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars    . 

*y  'j'j 

40 

61.7 

I.I78 

1.178 

361 

43 

IOO.O 

.      .      . 

i  .910 

Time  Study  Deductions 

Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 
I 

15 
21 

24 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving    up, 
shovel  idle 
Time  between  moves, 
working      .... 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper 
No.  of  dippers  per  move 
No.  of  dippers  per  train 
No.  of  dippers  per  car 

8 
8 

2 

288 

8 
5 
33 

I 

10 

14 

10 

05 

25 
15 
40 
2O 

40 

'3 

47 
53 

25 

3 

21 
29 

49 

45 

55 

20 

li 

26                36                49 
3°                57f              93 
8.7 

No.  of  trains  loaded      •     •      5    |    No.  of  cars 33* 

*33  cars  loaded  during  observation  ;  43  loaded  during  day. 


Train  No. 

5o-Ton  Cars  1  30-Ton  Cars 

I 

3 

2 

2 

2 

Cars  per  train     •< 

3 
4 

1 

7 

5 

4 

i 

•• 

22 

ii 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 


Water  consumption,  pounds 29,160  _ 

Coal  consumption,  pounds        ~   5,000 


234 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


235 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  28— SHOVEL  No.  1083 

INSPECTED  SEPTEMBER  24,  1909 
OLIVER  IRON   MINING  COMPANY 

SELLER'S   PIT,  RIBBING,  MINN. 

MATERIAL  This  shovel  was  working  in  the  soft  ore 
typical  of  the  Mesabi  Range.  There  was 
considerable  taconite  mixed  with  it  and  some  "  paint 
rock."  These  materials  did  not  occur  in  the  form  of 
regular  intrusions,  but  were  scattered  through  the  ore 
in  lumps  6  inches  in  diameter  and  upwards.  Sometimes 
pieces  too  large  for  one  man  to  handle  were  encountered. 
The  paint  rock  was  in  smaller  chunks  and  so  soft  that  it 
was  broken  by  the  dipper  which  penetrated  it.  When 
completely  disintegrated  it  was  loaded  with  the  ore,  but 
when  encountered  in  pieces  large  enough  to  be  picked 
by  hand,  it  was  thrown  aside  to  be  loaded  with  the 
taconite. 

METHOD  OF  HANDLING  Whenever  pieces  of  paint 

rock  or  taconite  were  torn 

loose  by  the  dipper  and  rolled  down  into  the  pit,  one  of 
the  rockmen  would  pick  it  out  and  throw  it  into  the  corner 
of  the  pit  next  to  the  track.  When  the  chunks  stuck  in 
the  slope  of  loose  material  a  rockman  would  run  up  the 
slope  during  the  swing  of  the  dipper  and  try  to  loosen  it. 

Great  care  was  exercised  in  excluding  foreign  matter 
from  the  cars,  and  for  this  reason  it  was  often  necessary 
to  stop  the  shovel  completely. 

The  delays  in  getting  rock  out  of  the  way  generally 
followed  a  process  called  "  clawing  down. "  Although 
the  ore  had  been  shot,  there  often  seemed  to  be  masses 
that  remained  almost  undisturbed,  especially  near  the 
top  of  the  bank.  Doubtless  the  natural  solidity  of  the 
ore  is  affected  by  the  blasting,  but  not  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  material  will  crumble  and  fall  down  of  itself. 

236 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

In  such  event  the  dipper  with  bottom  open  is  dragged 
across  the  face  of  the  ore  which  drops  to  the  bottom  of 
the  pit.  Besides  the  clawing  of  the  face  directly  in 
front  of  the  shovel,  this  process  is  continued  on  the  side 
as  far  back  as  the  shovel  can  reach.  There  results  a 
vertical  face  of  ore  at  a  distance  from  the  shovel  track 
equal  to  the  extreme  reach  of  the  dipper  handle. 

With  the  tearing  down  of  a  large  mass  of  ore  by  claw- 
ing, there  is  generally  exposed  or  brought  down  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  taconite. 

TRANSPORTATION  Mention  has  been  made  above  of 
the  spotting  of  the  dump  cars, 

which  are  provided  for  the  removal  of  rock  and  foreign 
materials.  In  this  case  there  were  four  7 -yard  Russell 
Wheel  and  Foundry  Company  cars,  which  were  spotted 
at  the  shovel  after  each  train  was  loaded.  When  the 
next  train  came  up  it  coupled  on  to  these  cars  and  they 
were  handled  as  a  part  of  the  train  as  long  as  the  train 
was  loading. 

The  rejected  material  from  the  dump  cars  is  thrown 
out  on  the  shovel  side  of  the  car  and  remains  scattered 
along  the  loading  tracks  in  the  shovel  pit. 

Both  the  shovel  and  loading  track  are  standard  gauge, 
laid  with  standard  ties  and  50  or  6o-pound  rails.  The 
shovel  is  moved  forward  on  6-foot  sections  with  the 
usual  plate  connections  and  bridles,  but  as  soon  as  it 
has  moved  about  fifty  feet,  a  standard  track,  which  is 
laid  in  the  rear  of  the  shovel,  is  extended  for  a  rail 
length  and  is  so  carried  along  directly  behind  the 
shovel.  When  the  shovel  is  ready  to  move  back  this 
track  is  connected  with  the  shovel  track  and  the  shovel 
has  a  continuous  standard  track  to  move  on.  This 
track  then  becomes  the  loading  track  for  the  next  cut, 
and  that  previously  used  as  a  loading  track  is  torn  up. 

237 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

CASTING   AHEAD     There  is  another  item  of  lost  time 
between  trains  which  is  listed  in 

the  time  study  under  the  heading  of  "Casting  Ahead." 
While  loading  the  ore  cars  a  small  bank  is  formed  in 
the  pit  next  to  the  loading  track.  Ordinarily,  as  soon 
as  a  train  pulls  out  with  its  load  the  dipper  is  swung 
over  and  this  material  is  dragged  back  into  the  pit 
where  it  can  be  seized  by  the  dipper  when  loading 
is  resumed.  In  this  case,  however,  when  the  loading 
track  is  not  occupied  by  the  ore  cars  it  is  by  the  dump 
cars,  so  little  opportunity  is  given  to  load  this  material 
near  the  loading  track.  So  when  the  empty  train  of 
ore  cars  comes  up  it  pushes  the  dump  cars  out  of  the 
way  and  as  rapidly  as  possible  the  dipper  grabs  this 
material,  swings  over,  and  dumps  it  directly  in  front  of  the 
shovel.  From  here  it  is  loaded  with  the  rest  of  the  ore. 

WORKING   SEASONS     The  working  season  is  limited 
by  the  shipping  season  on  the 

Lakes.  This  generally  opens  on  about  the  first  of  April. 
By  the  first  of  May  the  full  capacity  of  the  mine  is  being 
produced  and  shipped.  The  shipping  season  ends  on 
ab'out  the  first  of  December,  although  if  demand  for  ore 
is  good  and  tonnage  rates  are  high,  shipping  may  con- 
tinue until  well  into  December.  Insurance  on  ships  and 
cargoes  runs  out  about  the  fifteenth  of  December,  and 
but  few  vessel  owners  care  to  take  the  risk  of  operating 
after  that  time. 

When  study  was  made  of  this  shovel,  the  mine  was 
working  apparently  to  full  capacity.  It  was  inspected 
on  Saturday  afternoon  and  a  shift  was  to  work  that 
night  and  all  the  next  day.  This  was  very  unusual,  as 
the  Oliver  Company  never  work  in  their  mines  on 
Sunday  and  do  only  such  shop  and  other  work  on  that 
day  as  is  absolutely  essential.  This  would  indicate 
large  demand  for  Sellers'  ore.  The  same  was  true  of 
the  Burt  &  Pool  mines,  which  adjoin  the  Sellers. 

238 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

BLASTING  Shooting  of  the  ore  is  done  by  churning 
holes  about  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  from 
the  edge  of  the  bank.  These  holes  are  sprung  with 
two  to  four  sticks  of  60  per  cent  dynamite  7/%  by  6 
inches  and  then  loaded  with  black  powder.  About  two 
kegs  of  powder  are  inserted  in  each  hole.  These  holes 
are  about  i  o  feet  apart  and  three  or  four  are  shot  at  the 
same  time.  The  shooting  is  generally  done  at  the  close 
of  work,  but  the  shot  is  sometimes  fixed  during  working 
hours.  There  seems  to  be  no  danger  from  the  blast, 
although  a  signal  is  always  given  for  it.  No  attempt  is 
made  to  blow  the  bank  down,  the  desire  being  simply  to 
give  the  material  a  slight  shaking.  In  some  cases  the 
face  of  the  bench  blasted  is  hardly  disturbed,  while  in 
others  some  of  the  face  is  thrown  down,  but  never 
violently. 


Typical  Cross-section 


OBSERVATIONS 

Material      .      .      ...      .      .      .      .     Iron  ore,  Bessemer  grade 

Type  of  shovel 95  B 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth  Rock 


239 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Lift  . 9'  high 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel 6"  x6"  and  6"  x8"x8' 

Size  of  bucket 2)4  yards 

Age  of  shovel Second  season 

Shift 10  hours 

Two  shifts  per  day. 

Coal  is  brought  up  in  dump  car;  plank  laid  from  car  to  coal 
bunker  and  coal  carried  across  in  boxes,  each  holding  about 
a  cubic  foot.  Water  is  taken  from  locomotive  tender. 
Repairs  are  made  on  Sundays  and  as  needed.  Completely  over- 
hauled each  season  in  shop  when  needed.  This  shovel  has 
never  been  in  shop  even  for  minor  repairs. 

Coal  used 2^  to  3^  tons  per  shift 

(  Valve,  1%  gallons  per  shift 

Oil  used 1  Black,  i^"  gallons  per  shift 

(  Grease,  ^  pound 

Water  used 4000  to  6000  gallons  per  shift 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  second  Sunday.     Very  clean,  soft  well 
water  used. 

Kind  of  track,  etc Standard,  6o-pound  rail 

Kind  and   size   of   cars   used:  Steel   ore   cars,   100,000  pounds 

capacity;  wood  ore  cars,  70,000  pounds. 
Train  is  braked  by  air. 
Hand  signals  are  used  by  man  on  ground. 
Kind  and  size  of  dinkey     .     .     Standard  locomotives,  6o-ton  ± 

Length  of  haul To  mouth  of  pit,  l/2  mile 

Number  of  trains,  two ;  two  locomotives.     Locomotives   alter- 
nated with  trains  to  be   loaded.     Locomotive   would   take 
full  train  out  and  bring  in  string  of  six  empties.     Would  then 
stand  on  siding  until  other  train  was  full  and  out  of  way. 
Weather Fair,  warm  and  sunny 


TIME  STUDY 

Afternoon 

Started  work 1:00:20 

Stopped  work 6:00:30 

Min.     Sec. 
Total  time  work  300     10     =  5  hours  10  seconds 

240 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

17-1 

T.O 

C7  .q 

Waiting  for  cars 

71 

r* 

23.6 

Moving  shovel       .... 

o 

40 

7.2 

Miscellaneous  delays 
Taking  rock  from  car 
Breaking  rock 

4 
c 

40 

I  C 

1.6 
i  8 

Breaking  rock    . 

18 

CO 

6.2 

Clawing  down    . 

i 

IO 

0.4 

Clawing  down   . 

4C 

O.Q 

Breaking  rock    

2 

4° 

O.Q 

Picking  rock  from  car 
Clawing  down    

9 

i 

35 

0 

3-2 
O.  7 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

300 

IO 

IOO.O 

*  While  waiting  for  cars  the  shovel  was  idle  23  minutes  5 
seconds  out  of  the  71  minutes  5  seconds,  but  spent  the  remain- 
ing 48  minutes  as  follows  : 


Minutes          Seconds 

Loading  rock                                                                  25 

5 
40 

15 

Clawing  down    5 

Casting  ahead                                                              17 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner       • 

$5.00 
3.6o 
2.40 

6.00 

I2.OO 

Craneman        .... 

Fireman     

4  pitmen     

8  rockmen       ~.      . 

$29.00 

Number  of  cars  loaded  on  day  of  observation,  23^  of  50  tons 

and  5  of  35  tons. 
Number  of  cubic  yards.  loaded  on  day  of  observation  (2  tons  per 


Based  upon  the  observed  performance,  the  number  of  cubic  yards 

600  minutes 
loaded  per  day  of  10  hours  =  675  X 


=  T35°- 


300  minutes  10  seconds 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day $29.00  2.15   cents   per  cubic 

Number  cubic  yards  per  day         1350  yard 


241 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  waiting  for  blasters 
Charge  to  loading 
i.  Actual  loading     . 
2.   Delays 
a  Moving  up     ... 
Charge  to  transportation 
i.   Waiting  for  cars  . 
2.  Miscellaneous 

31 
T73 

9 

71 
14 

40 

3° 
40 

5 
i5 

10.5 

57-9 
3-2 

23.6 
4.8 

0.225 

1-245) 
0.069  ) 

0.508  ) 
0.103  j" 

0.225 
I-3I4 

0.61  1 

300 

10 

100.0 

2.  150 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds        3^,000  to  ;o,ooo       , 

—  =  6.00107.70. 
Coal  consumption,  pounds  5>5°°  to  6,500 

TIME    STUDY    ON    SHOVEL    No.    1083 

This  time  study  follows  the  scheme  used  and  ex- 
plained for  No.  517,  but  a  variation  has  been  made 
in  the  column  giving  time  "between  trains." 

In  this  case  the  shovel  was  seldom  idle,  even  when 
waiting  for  a  train.  This  condition  is  explained  in  the 
notes  on  No.  1083,  and  the  itemized  times  are  given 
there.  While  waiting  the  shovel  was  either  clawing  at 
the  bank,  loading  stones  or  picking  up  ore  along  the 
edges  of  the  pit  and  throwing  it  ahead  where  it  could  be 
more  easily  loaded.  As  this  was  all  useful  work  it  should 
hardly  be  classed  as  lost  time.  On  the  other  hand  it  is 
not  "loading"  and  so  could  not  be  counted  in  as  useful 
working  time.  It  has  therefore  been  put  in  a  column  by 
itself  under  "Working  between  trains"  and  another 
column  of  "Between  trains"  time  has  been  headed  "Idle." 
This  last  is  when  the  shovel  was  actually  standing  still. 

The  last  column  gives,  as  usual,  "Miscellaneous 
delays,"  and  in  this  study  it  contains  only  those  items 
of  delay  that  occurred  while  the  train  was  at  the  shovel 
being  loaded.  The  items  which  make  up  these  delays 
are  explained  in  the  remarks  on  No.  1083. 


242 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


=3 


IP  -I 

•i  § 

0_  JO 

•*•  10 


£     8 


M  e 
-2|    •: 


'   •111 


^5 


o  o 


» 


* 

s?,s 

<n  ro 


§J2 


^^ 


H<: 


243 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME    STUDY    ON    SHOVEL 


ist  train  . 
2d  train 
3d  train  . 
4th  train  . 
5th  train  . 
6th  train  . 
Total  cars 
Dippers  per  car 


1083 — Co  7i  tinned 

i  steel  car  -)-  3  dippers 

.     5  steel  cars,  i  wood  car 

5  steel  car,  i  wood  car 

6  steel  cars 

.   4  steel  cars,  3  wood  cars 

.    2  steel  cars  +  4  dippers 

.      23^  steel,  5  wood  cars 

14.25  steel,  10.20  wood  cars 


Fig-  59-     View  of  Sellers  Pit  Mine  in  the  Mesabi  Range,  Oliver  Iron  Mining 
Company,  Hibbing,  Minn. 


244 


HANDBOOK    OF    S'TEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

REPORT  No.  29      -  SHOVEL  No.  866 

INSPECTED    AUGUST   2-5,  1909 
PRINCETON,    MICH. 

LOCATION     This  shovel  is  owned  and  operated  by  the 
Cleveland  Cliffs  Iron  Co.,  at  Princeton, 
Mich.      On  the  first  day  of  the  inspection  it  was  "  cut- 
ting in." 

MATERIAL  AND  PERFORMANCE     The    material   be- 
ing    loaded     was 

the  soft  Hematite  Ore  in  stock  pile.  The  small  carts 
used  for  building  stock  pile  are  of  the  "end  dump" 
type.  The  skips  hoist  the  ore  upward  out  of  the  shafts 
to  a  certain  point  above  the  ground,  where  there  is  a 
catch  that  restrains  the  top  of  the  skip  as  it  tends  to  go 
on  up.  The  action  is  to  thus  automatically  dump  the 
contents  of  the  skip  into  the  pockets.  In  winter  when 
no  ore  can  be  shipped  it  is  dropped  from  the  pockets 
into  the  end  dump  cars  which  run  outward  by  gravity 
across  a  trestle  to  the  stock  pile. 

In  order  to  cut  in  more  rapidly  than  is  possible  with 
the  ordinary  5-foot  rail  sections,  small  i-foot  sections 
were  used  between  the  5 -foot  rail  sections  to  make  the 
shovel  track  more  flexible.  The  ore  in  this  stock  pile 
was  very  badly  frozen  in  places.  It  occurs  in  this 
manner :  A  great  deal  of  the  ore  is  wet  when  it  comes 
out  of  the  mine,  and  being  piled  in  the  open  air  in  the 
winter,  freezes  solid.  It  is  a  common  occurrence  on  a 
hot  summer's  day  to  see*  a  shovel  suddenly  run  into  ore 
so  badly  frozen  and  solid  that  the  white  frost  is  visible 
and  the  cold  air  felt  a  distance  of  25  feet. 

TRANSPORTATION     The  lack  of  sufficient  cars  was 
very   noticeable   here.     On    one 

day  cars  gave  out  after  an  hour's  work,  and  there  were 
no  more  until  the  next  morning.  On  another  day 

245 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

there  was  a  supply  of  cars  all  morning,  but  it  gave 
out  for  the  day  at  1.56  P.  M.  One  of  the  railroad 
men  offered  this  explanation  of  the  shortage  of  cars: 
The  railroad  companies  own  the  ore  pockets  at  the 
docks  and  their  capacity  is  limited.  Therefore  when 
a  vessel  arrives  for  a  cargo  from  some  mine,  cars 
are  plentifully  supplied  to  that  mine  until  the  vessel 
is  loaded ;  while  other  mines  receive  only  a  nominal 
supply. 


—  22' —  —12'—     -4l-} 

Typical  Cross-section  of  Bank 


OBSERVATIONS 

Type  of  shovel Bucyrus,  yo-ton 

Distance  of  move 6' 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  lip 

Lift ii'  high 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel  .     6"  x  8" 


Size  of  bucket 


3  yards 


Age  of  shovel Fifth  season 

Job  began  in  June,  this  year. 

Shift         10  hours 

246 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

One  shift  per  day. 

Supplies  are  handled :     Coal,  by  team  to  point  near  shovel,  then 

shoveled  aboard  by  pitmen.     Water,  from  a  company  main. 
Repairs  are  made  by  regular  crew  either  while  waiting  for  cars 

or  at  night. 

Coal  used 2^/2  tons  in  10  hours 

Water  used 3000  gallons 

(   Black,  3  quarts  in  10  hours 

Oil  used \   Cylinder,  3  quarts  in  10  hours 

(   Engine,  \]/2  quarts  in  10  hours 
Boiler  is  cleaned  about  once  a  month. 
Repair  cost  small,  but  company  would  give  no  figures.     Plates 

had  to  be  put  on  the  front  of  the  bucket  near  rim  to  save 

the  latter  from  wearing  out.     True  also  of  Lake  Angeline 

Mine  shovel,  No.  1074. 

Kind  of  track Standard  gauge,  about  60  pounds 

Cars  used    .     .    5o-ton  pressed  steel ;  30- ton  wooden  L.  S.  &  I. 

Train  is  braked  by  air. 

Hand  signals  are  used.     Man  on  shovel. 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey.     Large  Baldwin  4-wheel  driver. 

Length  of  haul    .    About  %  mile  before  engine  reached  empties 

Cars  and  engines  owned  by  railroad  company,  who    make    all 

repairs. 
Weather Clear  and  bright 


First  Day 
Started  work 
Stopped  worked 

Total  time  worked 


TIME    STUDY 

Forenoon 

7:00:00 

12:02:00 


Afternoon 
1:04:45 
6:02:45 


Min. 


Min. 


302   -j-   298  =  600  minutes  =  10  hours 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working                  .... 

170 

40 

28.4 

Waiting  for  cars      
Moving  shovel                               . 

311 
61 

45 

2O 

52.0 
IO    "? 

Pulling  track                 .           ... 

42 

^O 

7-  T 

Miscellaneous  delays 

i  -i 

AC 

2    2 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

600 

o 

IOO.O 

247 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard   Basis 

Runner 

$t;  oo 

Crane  man 

iP^.vv 
^    DO 

Fireman                          .                       .                 . 

2    40 

6  pitmen       .                           .     .           .... 

Q    OO 

$2O.OO 

Number  of  cars  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation  =  39  @  47  ton 
Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation  (2  ton 

per  yard)  =  — —  =  916^. 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day $20.00  _ 


Number  cubic  yards  per  day        916.5 


=r  2.19  cents  per  yard. 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

I70 

40 

28.4 

0.622"! 

2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up     ... 

6l 

2O 

10.3 

O.226  [ 

o  .  896 

b  Miscellaneous     .     . 

J3 

45 

2.2 

o  .  048  J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars   . 

311 

4S 

52.0 

I-I39  I 

2.  Miscellaneous  .     . 

42 

30 

7-1 

°-l55  ) 

I  .294 

600 

oo 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

2.190 

Time  Study  Reductions 

Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving    up, 
shovel  idle 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper 
No.  of  dippers  per  move 
No.  of  dippers  per  train 
No.  of  dippers  per  car 

7 

7 
3 
7 
335 
7 
7 
39 

5 

15 
15 
18 

3° 

2O 
IO 
OO 

23 

8 

24 
17 
24 

46 
O2 

3° 
23 
30 

J3 

47 
19 

31 

40 

50 
00 
IO 

37 

32 
36 

48 

49 
8# 

95 
64 

248 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Number  of  trains  loaded 
Number  of  cars  loaded 


Train 
Number 

5o-ton 
Cars 

3o-ton 
Cars 

Cars  per  train  .           .           .     •* 

I 
2 

3 

4 
3 
4 

I 
I 
I 

6 

7 

2 
2 

5 

3 
4 
3 

25 

14 

TIME  STUDY 

Second  Day 

Forenoon 

Afternoon 

Started  work 
Stopped  work 

7:00:00 
11:59:30 

12:50:00 

5:48:30 

Min.        Sec.              Min. 

Sec. 

Total  time  worked 

„    1  ,     _,  0    

299         30      +       298 

30  =  598  minutes 

=  9  hours  58  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

I7O 

C2 

28  6 

Waiting  for  cars    
Moving  shovel       
Miscellaneous  delays 
Car  off  track       
Repairing  dipper  hinge 
Repairing      connecting     rod 
caps       

306 

5° 

25 
8 

36 

J^ 
30 
38 

30 
OO 

3° 

58.1 

4-3 
1-3 

6.1 

Total  time  under  observation   . 

598 

00 

100.  0 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  (loading) $20.00 

Number   of   cars    loaded   on    second  day  of  observation,  38  @ 

47  tons  —  1786  tons. 
Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  on   second  day  of  observation 


=  2.24  cents  per  yard. 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  $20.00 

Number  of  cubic  yard  per  day      '     893 


249 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  Pei- 
Yard 

in  Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min.     Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  .     .     . 

170 

V 

28.6 

o  .  640  "| 

2.   Delays 
a  Moving  up       ... 

SO 

38 

8.5 

O.IQI    f 

0.997 

b  Repairs  

44 

30 

7-4 

O.I66J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.   Waiting  for  cars    . 

306 

SO 

51-2 

I.H7   1 

2.   Miscellaneous    . 

25 

3° 

4-3 

0.096  f 

1  -243 

598 

oo 

IOO.O 

.     .     . 

2.240 

Time  Study  Reductions 

Number 
of 
Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time    of    moving  up, 
shovel  idle      .     .     . 
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working    . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper      .     . 
No.  of  dippers  per  move 
No.  of  dippers  per  train 
No.  of  dippers  per  car 

7 

8 
4 
5 
344 
8 

38 

5 

12 

16 

22 

55 

10 

25 
5° 

7 

21 
2O 

34 

14 

21 
48 
IO 
29 

1  1 

33 
24 
48 

25 

40 
15 

5° 
34 

33 
5i 

43 
69 

9 

59 
86 

Number  of  trains  loaded  . 
Number  of  cars  loaded 


Train 

Number 

5o-Ton 
Cars 

30-Ton 
Cars 

r 

I 

3 

4 

i 

2 

6 

2 

Cars  per  train     <j 

3 

7 

O 

1 

4 

i 

7 

I 

5 

i 

7 

18 

20 

ACTUAL  RATIOS 
Water  consumption,  pounds 25,000 


Coal  consumption,  pounds 
250 


5,000 


=  5-° 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


251 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHISHOLM,    MINN. 
TAKING   DOWN  BOOM  AND   DIPPER 

Shovel  No.  700  was  being  dismantled  preparatory  to 
taking  boom  and  dipper  into  the  shop.  The  process  is 
as  follows:  An  empty  flat  car  is  placed  on  the  track 
directly  ahead  of  the  shovel.  The  dipper  is  then  thrust 
out  as  far  as  possible  by  the  crane  engine  and  allowed 
to  rest  on  the  far  end  of  the  flat  car  and  on  the  left 
hand  side.  The  hoisting  chain  is  then  slackened  and 
the  bight  pulled  down  between  the  two  sides  of  the 
dipper  handle.  A  stout  rod  is  then  thrust  in  between 
this  bight  and  the  underside  of  the  dipper  handle  near 
its  upper  end.  After  disengaging  dipper  handle  from 
the  rack  pinions,  it  is  slowly  lowered  to  the  flat  car  by 
paying  out  the  hoisting  chain.  The  hoisting  chain  is 
then  released  from  the  padlock  and  wound  up  on  the 
drum.  The  end  of  the  hoisting  chain  is  then  pulled 
out  and  passed  over  a  pulley  suspended  from  the  A 
frame;  thence  up  the  boom  and  around  a  sheave  at 
its  top  and  thence  back  to  the  top  of  the  A  frame  to 
one  leg  of  which  it  is  securely  fastened.  The  boom 
is  then  raised  slightly  by  the  hoisting  engines  until  the 
strain  is  removed  from  the  tie  rods  which  connect  the 
upper  end  of  the  boom  and  the  top  of  the  A  frame. 
These  tie  rods  are  now  uncoupled  from  the  top  of  the 
A  frame  and  gradually  eased  down  onto  the  car.  The 
method  used  for  thus  lowering  the  tie  rods  is  as  follows : 
A  stick  of  round  ,timber  some  4  inches  in  diameter  and 
4  feet  long,  to  which  a  pulley  is  lashed,  is  jammed  into 
the  head  of  the  A  frame.  Through  this  block  a  rope 
passes  from  below  and  is  secured  to  the  upper  end  of 
the  tie  rods,  one  at  a  time.  A  workman  holds  the  lower 
end  of  the  rope,  and  so  the  tie  rods  are  let  down  gently. 

The  boom  itself  is  now  supported  only  by  the  hoist- 
ing chain  and  this  is  now  slacked  away  until  boom 
rests  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  flat  car.  The  hoisting 

252 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM   SHOVEL  WORK 

chain  is  then  disengaged  and  wound  up  on  the  drum. 
The  shovel  then  backs  up  a  little,  thereby  removing  the 
lower  end  of  the  boom  from  its  socket.  A  timber  is 
then  placed  between  the  front  of  the  shovel  proper  and 
the  end  of  the  boom  and  the  shovel  moved  forward 
until  the  boom  is  pushed  over  the  flat  car  far  enough 
to  be  clear  of  the  end.  The  only  thing  remaining  to 
be  done  is  to  take  down  the  block  suspended  from  the 
top  of  the  A  frame  and  place  it  on  the  car  with  the 
boom  and  dipper. 

The  photograph  shows  a  similar  9<D-ton  shovel  after 
it  has  been  dismantled  and  its  boom  and  dipper  loaded 
on  flat  car  for  transportation. 


Fig.  60.     go-ton  Shovel  Dismantled  for  Shipment 


253 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 

CHAPTER  IX 

STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  ROCK  It  will  be  noted, 

from  the  study  of 

the  data  in  this  volume,  that  as  the  material  becomes 
more  irregular  in  quality  the  unit  cost  rises.  This 
effect  is  more  noticeable  in  the  case  of  variations  in  the 
size  of  the  individual  pieces  handled  than  in  the  density 
of  the  material  itself.  For  example,  there  is  more  differ- 
ence in  the  economic  results  of  handling  earth  mixed 
with  large  boulders  than  there  is  in  handling  good  earth, 
which  is  comparatively  light,  and  well  broken  iron  ore, 
which  is  comparatively  heavy. 

Another  cause  of  inefficient  work  is  the  lack  of  co- 
ordination between  the  different  processes.  For  ex- 
ample, if  rock  is  badly  blasted,  or  if  the  steam  shovel 
has  to  wait  for  blasts,  the  necessary  cost  of  loading  the 
rock  is  considerably  greater  than  it  would  otherwise  be, 
owing  to  delay  caused  by  the  inefficiency  of  the  pre- 
vious process.  Thus,  on  some  classes  of  work,  it  is 
very  difficult  to  tell  how  much  of  the  delay  or  extra  ex- 
penses are  due  to  the  loading  process  and  how  much 
are  due  to  the  breaking  or  loosening  process. 

The  variations  in  the  quality  and  sizes  of  the  materials 
are  a  further  cause  of  delay  in  the  transportation  and 
dumping  processes.  A  large  piece  of  rock  that  gets 
wedged  in  the  side  of  a  car  and  delays  a  train  in  getting 
back  to  the  shovel  is  a  real  cause  of  expense,  and  yet 
it  is  difficult  to  classify  that  expense  between  the  three 
processes.  It  is  perhaps  the  fault  of  the  breaking 
process  that  it  should  have  been  so  large.  It  has 
already  delayed  the  steam  shovel  in  getting  it  on  the 
car,  and  with  some  types  of  equipment  and  some 
classes  of  men  the  delay  to  the  dumping  on  account 
of  it  is  much  less  than  with  more  experienced  men  and 
with  other  classes  of  cars. 

254 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

Because  blasted  rock  necessarily  comes  out  in  very 
uneven  sizes  and  shapes,  and  when  not  very  thoroughly 
blasted  offers  great  resistance  to  being  loosened  by  the 
shovel,  the  unit  cost  of  loading  this  material  is  higher 
than  if  it  were  of  uniform  sizes  or  well  blasted.  The 
photographs  give  the  only  adequate  idea  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  material  handled  and  described  in  this 
chapter. 

REPORT  No.  30 --SHOVEL  No.  1108 

INSPECTED  JULY   i  TO  3  AND  21-22,  1909 

D.,  L.  &  W.  CUT-OFF 

HOPATCONG,  N.  J. 

LOCATION  Shovels  No.  1 108  and  No.  1 137  (page  323) 
are  located  on  section  No.  i  of  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off  and  both  were  working  in  similar 
material,  although  No.  1 108  had  a  decided  advantage  on 
July  2.  This  section  extends  from  the  junction  of  the 
main  line  tracks  at  Hopatcong  to  a  point  three  miles 
north  of  the  village  of  Netcong  and  is  about  three  miles 
in  length.  Like  section  No.  2,  it  includes  some  heavy 
cuts  and  fills  and  concrete  work  in  the  shape  of  arches 
over  streams. 

MATERIAL     The  material   consists   of  porphyry  and 
granite  and  makes  hard  digging,  but  as 
yet  the  cuts  are  not  as  deep  as  on  section  No.  2,  and 
the  percentage  of  earth  is  larger. 

SHOVEL     The  shovels  are  both  new,  having  been  pur- 
chased   from    the    Bucyrus     company    last 
November.     They  are  consequently  of  the  latest  design, 
and,  being  alike,  the  parts  are  interchangeable.     The 

255 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

car  body  is  square  at  the  ends  and  unprotected  with 
wooden  buffers,  as  on  some  of  the  other  types.  The  boom 
and  dipper  handle  are  made  of  wood,  reinforced  with  iron 
plates  on  the  faces.  There  is  a  device  for  dropping  the 
ashes  by  pulling  a  lever  and  a  similar  device  for  turning 
the  grate.  Water  and  coal  are  supplied  in  the  usual 
way,  except  that  the  hose  is  attached  to  a  pipe  running 
up  the  side  of  the  shovel  and  entering  the  tank  at  the 
top.  By  having  all  three  machines  of  the  same  type 
the  contractor  is  able  to  keep  a  larger  supply  of  extra 
parts  on  hand.  The  wooden  boom  and  dipper  handle 
give  more  limberness,  and  consequently  they  stand 
rougher  usage. 

Another  advantage  which  these  machines  have,  is  that 
the  jacks  can  be  swung  toward  the  shovel,  so  that  in 
passing  boulders  or  through  narrow  places  the  jack 
braces  only  have  to  be  loosened  and  the  jacks  swung  to 
one  side.  The  advantage  of  this  was  shown  twice  dur- 
ing our  inspection,  once  while  moving  forward,  when 
the  jack  hit  a  piece  of  ledge,  to  have  passed  which, 
without  swinging  the  jack  would  have  taken  consider- 
able time;  and  once  while  moving  back  beside  a  tumbled 
down  stone  wall. 

The  contractors  report  a  very  light  repair  bill  so  far, 
the  only  items  being  a  new  pinion  for  the  dipper  engine 
and  new  teeth  for  the  dipper. 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  PLANT     The  track  arrangement 

for  this  job  is  very  sim- 
ple. The  shovels  are  separated  from  each  other  by  a 
swamp  about  1000  feet  long,  and  the  ends  of  excavation 
shown  on  the  sketch  are  not  identical.  In  both  cases 
a  single  track  and  only  two  trains  are  used  (three  new 
dinkeys,  however,  arrived  at  the  freight  yard  the  day 
this  inspection  closed),  with  a  turnout  near  the  shovel. 
The  run  for  No.  1108  has  only  a  curve,  but  for 
No.  1137  the  trains  must  be  switched  back  along 

256 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

the  hillside.  There  are  no  grades  against  the  loads 
and  the  dinkeys  have  no  trouble  in  returning.  The 
dinkey  tracks  at  No.  1108  were  at  the  same  elevation 
as  the  shovel  tracks,  but  at  No.  1137  here  was  a 
considerable  lift  at  the  end  of  the  day  on  July  3, 
and  on  July  23  the  shovel  was  loading  as  high  as  it 
could  reach. 

Shovel  No.  1 1 08  began  on  the  afternoon  of  July  i, 
and  on  the  afternoon  of  July  2 1  had  finished  the  run  of 
1025  feet,  with  an  average  depth  of  face  of  about  15  to 
20  feet,  the  dinkey  tracks  being  only  a  couple  of  feet 
above  the  shovel  tracks  at  the  maximum.  On  the 
afternoon  of  July  2 1  the  shovel  was  started  on  its  back- 
ward journey,  but  as  we  did  not  arrive  at  this  shovel 
until  4.06  p.  m.  on  the  23d,  the  records  for  this  moving 
are  incomplete,  but  there  is  enough  shown  to  give  an 
idea  of  the  progress  made.  The  method  employed  here 
was  similar  to  that  at  Shovel  No.  893  (see  report  No.  6) 
and  consisted  in  laying  standard  length  rails  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  preparatory  to  moving.  When  we 
arrived  the  rails  had  all  been  laid  and  had  been  run 
into  the  dinkey  tracks,  which  had  been  widened  to  a 
standard  gauge  for  a  distance  of  about  500  feet.  This 
was  done  by  simply  taking  the  outside  spikes  out  of  one 
rail  and  shifting  it  over,  leaving  in  the  inside  spikes  to 
be  used  when  the  track  should  be  shifted  back  again 
to  narrow  gauge.  Fig.  62  shows  the  shovel  as  it  has 
completed  its  journey  as  the  men  are  in  the  act  of  un- 
bolting a  section  of  track  to  swing  over  to  the  area 
which  the  other  laborers  are  leveling. 

TIME  STUDY  From  the  tables,  comparisons  as  to  the 
efficiencies  of  the  two  shovels  will  sug- 
gest themselves,  but  attention  is  called  to  the  time 
necessary  to  fill  the  dipper  and  load  the  cars.  The 
digging  for  No.  1137  was  very  hard  at  times,  and  much 
time  was  spent  in  trying  to  loosen  rock  that  was  finally 

257 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

"mud-capped."  On  the  other  hand,  during  the  morn- 
ing on  which  No.  1108  was  observed,  the  digging  was 
easy,  consisting  of  gravel  with  well  broken  sod  that 
fell  down  of  its  own  accord.  At  about  noon,  however, 
this  changed  to  a  hard,  unbroken  rock,  and  continued  so 
until  about  4.30.  The  difference  between  these  materials 
is  shown  in  a  very  plain  manner  by  the  average  submitted 
in  the  tables. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Weight        70  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  cu.  yds. 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese   steel 

Number  of  pitmen 6 

Height  blocked  up o 

Weather Clear 

TRANSPORTATION 

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 4.38  cubic  yards 

Capacity  of  cars,  place  measure 3.6    cubic  yards 

Number  of  cars  in  train 7 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 6' 

Length  of  haul  (approximate) 4800' 

Length  of  runaround 9600' 

Weight  of  dinkeys 18  tons 

Style  of  car .      Side  dump  on  both  sides 

Height  of  top  of  cars  above  shovel  track 6' 

Gauge  of  dinkey  tracks Narrow 

Number  of  trains 2 

Average  time  for  round  trip,  18.5  minutes;  maximum,  39  min- 
utes; minimum,  13. 5  minutes;  26  observations. 
Maximum  grade     ....       About  2  per  cent  against  empties 
Full  trains  on  grades. 

Rate  of  transportation:    Maximum,  711';  average,   520';  mini- 
mum, 250'. 

Swings  per  minute 2.9 

Number  of  cars  loaded 336 yz 

Cubic  yards  excavated 1200 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 14 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 6'  i" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 85' 

258 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TRANSPORTATION—  Continued 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  i  cubic  foot  with  dipper  .  .  .  .012 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .009  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day,  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  601^ 
Shovel  expenses  in  cents,  not  including  superintendent  and  over- 
head or  preparatory  charges,  3349. 

Coal  used • 2.65  tons 

Area  of  section 880  square  feet 

Height  of  face 20' 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once       ....    9.429  minutes 
Average  time  to  move  forward  i  foot     ....    1.553  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 1.154  minutes 

Pounds  of  coal  per  cubic  yard  excavated 4^ 

Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport  and  spread  i  cubic  yard,  9.69 
cents. 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 24 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move        .     .     .    7 '  2" 
Average  time  for  one  swing:  a.  m.,   19.5   seconds;  p.  m.,  20.6 

seconds. 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next,  44.6  minutes. 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 

6:59 
1 1;59 


Afternoon 
12:28 
5:29^ 


Total  time  worked    300-^301^  minutes  •=.  10  hours  i  minute  30 
seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

388 

18 

64.6 

Spotting  cars     ...... 
Changing  trains     
Moving  shovel             .... 

3 
74 

IT.2 

12 

3° 
oo 

°-5 
12.4 

21  .9 

Idle 
Boulder  in  tooth      .... 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Tearing  down  bank      .     .     . 

O 

3 

3° 
oo 

O.  I 
°-5 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

60  1 

30 

IOO.O 

259 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct 
Labor  Distribution 
Per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Break- 
ing 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

1  hmip- 
ing 

Inci- 
dental 

Total 

Runner    .... 
Craneman 

$5.00 
3.60 
2.40 

Fireman  .... 
6  pitmen 
i  coalman     . 
2  Waterboys 
3  drillers 
3  drillers'  helpers   . 
2  laborers  stripping 
rock      .... 
4   laborers   loading 
holes    .... 
i  boiler  engineer    . 
I  powderman 
2  blacksmiths    . 
2  blacksmiths'  help- 
ers    

.     .     . 

9.00 
i  .50 

i    OO 

7.50 
4.25 

3.00 

6.00 

2.OO 
2.OO 

6.00 

3.00 

I     CQ 

.     .     . 

2  brakemen  . 
i  pumpman  . 
2     locomotive     en- 
gineers      .     . 
5  dumpmen 
Half  sec.  foreman  . 
Superintendent 
Half  watchman 

.     .      . 

3.00 

.     .     . 

">.  2O 

7  .  ^O 

2  .OO 

6.00 

O    7  C 

Total  cost  of  labor 
per  day 
Cost    per   day  per 
cubic  yard,  cents 
Per  cent  .... 

124.75 

2.O6 
29.7 

$21  .50 

1.79 
25.8 

$8.20 

0.68 
9.8 

$7-5° 

0.63 
9-1 

$21.25 

1.77 
25.6 

$83  .  20 

6-93 
IOO.O 

260 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Ti 

ne 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cost 

Charge     to      waiting      for 

blasters        ... 

-? 

O    ? 

O    OOQ 

O  009 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

388 

18 

64.6 

'•IS'*] 

2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up     ... 

132 

00 

21.9 

0.392   \ 

1-550 

b  Miscellaneous     .     . 

30 

O.  I 

0  .  002  J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.   Waiting  for  cars 

77 

42 

12.9 

0.231 

0.231 

60  1 

3° 

IOO.O 

.     .     . 

1.790 

ANALYSIS  OF  COMPLETE  DIPPER  SWING 


Forenoon 

Mini- 
mum 

Average 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

No.   of 
Attempts 
to  Fill 
Dipper 

Digging                   1      ™ 
Swinging  loaded  !         . 

4 
3 

9.18 

S-76 

2I# 

Q^ 

25 
23 

28 

Swinging       and  ( 
falling  empty    J  seconds 

4 

8.20 

22/2 

23 

.. 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one 

dipperful    

ii 

23.14 

53/2 

•• 

25 


Percentage  of  complete  dipperfuls  to  attempts  =  ~  =  89 . 3 


Afternoon 

Mini- 
mum 

Average 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

No.  of 
Attempts 
to  Fill 
Dipper 

Digging    .      .      .1      T- 
Swinging  loaded  [ 
Swing    and    fall-  f^ 
ing  empty        .  j 
Time  to  fill  and  load  one 
dipperful    

4/2 

3 

5/2 

12.5 

7-3 

8.7 

44 

37^ 

17 

23 

22 

22 

31 

13 

28.5 

98  /2 

261 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


23 
Percentage  of  complete  dipperfuls  to  attempts  =  —  r=  74.2 

Time  for  a  complete  swing  (seconds) 


Number 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

of  Obser- 

vations 

Forenoon 

12 

I9.S 

31.5 

36 

Afternoon 

14 

20.6 

26.0 

37 

Swings  per  minute 


Maximum 

Average 

Minimum 

Number 
of  Obser- 
vations 

Forenoon        .      .     . 
Afternoon       .      .     . 

5-° 
4-3 

3-1 
2.9 

1-9 

2-3 

36 

37 

Cost  to  Move  Back 

Standard  Basis 

Runner       .     . 
Crane  man 
Fireman 

.     @      .73  day 
.     .     @      .73  day 

@     -73  day 

@  $5.00 
@    3  .  60 

$8.65' 
6.23 

4-  *5 

27  laborers 
i  foreman 
i  foreman 

.     •     @      -73  day 
.      .     @      -73  day 
.     .     @     .73  day 

@     i  .  5o/day 
@    4.00 
@    3  .  50 

70.07 
6.92 
6.06 

Coal  (i  ton) 

$102.08 
4.00 

Oil  and  waste 

i  .00 

$107.08 


Total  distance  moved    . 
Total  time  consumed     . 
Number  of  men  employed 
Cost  per  foot  moved 
Cost  per  foot,  per  man 


.  1624' 
1.73  days 

•  •  32 
6.6  cents 


0.21  cent 


ACTUAL   RATIOS     Superintendence 
Direct  labor 

262 


=  0.06 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


263 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  61 


Fig.  62.     Shovel  on  the  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Cut-off,  near  Hopatcong,  N.  J. 
Track  being  prepared  for  Moving  Machine 

264 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


REPORT, No.  31      -  SHOVEL  No.  1138 

INSPECTED  OCTOBER  2  AND  8,  1909 

BROWNELL   IMPROVEMENT   COMPANY 

THORNTON,  ILL. 

MATERIAL  With  the  track  layout  shown  in  the  sketch, 
shovels  No.  1073  (p.  278)  and  No.  1 138  are 
turning  out  from  2600  to  3000  cubic  yards  of  crushed 
stone  a  day,  the  material  being  a  hard  crystalline  lime- 
stone, which,  if  October  2,  3,  4  and  5  are  any  criterion,  is 
not  too  well  blasted.  It  is  the  same  sort  of  limestone  as 
found  on  the  Jas.  J.  Hart  contract  on  the  D.,  L.  &  W. 
cut-off,  where  it  was  said  that  powder  cost  15  cents  a 
yard.  On  this  work  powder  costs  from  2%  cents  to  13 
cents  a  yard.  On  the  first  day  of  observation  (shovel 
No.  1073)  the  rock  was  well  broken  up  in  the  morning, 
but  during  the  afternoon  some  was  encountered  which 
came  out  in  large  slabs  that  had  to  be  mud-capped,  150 
pounds  of  dynamite  being  used  for  this  purpose.  On 
October  3d  (shovel  No.  1 138)  the  digging  was  very  easy, 
the  rock  being  broken  into  small  pieces,  not  over  a  foot 
in  diameter.  It  was  necessary  to 'blast  the  bank  only 
three  times  on  this  day  as  against  eight  times  the  pre- 
vious day  at  No.  1073.  It  was  on  this  day  that  No. 
1138  made  the  best  run  of  the  four  days  observed, 
working  50  per  cent,  of  the  time  and  loading  300  cars. 
On  October  4th  (shovel  No.  1073)  the  rock  was  fairly 
well  broken,  but  parts  that  had  not  felt  the  effect  of  the 
blast  were  frequently  met.  On  the  last  day  of  the 
observation  (October  5th,  shovel  No.  1138)  the  digging 
was  very  hard.  The  rock  had  not  been  blasted  prop- 
erly, so  that  while  the  rock  was  broken  it  was  not 
loosened  sufficiently  to  make  easy  digging,  and  as  in- 
sufficient powder  had  been  used,  the  rock  was  broken 
at  the  top,  but  there  was  a  ledge  about  two-thirds  the 
way  down  the  face  that  had  not  been  affected,  and 

265 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

which  had  to  be  drilled  and  blasted  frequently.  The 
day  this  shovel  was  observed  was  the  day  after  the 
track  was  changed.  The  shovel  had  to  follow  the  track 
and  had  to  draw  away  from  the  bank  to  do  so,  as  there 
was  a  slight  curve  at  this  point.  When  the  track  was 
thrown  it  was  brought  very  near  the  shovel,  a  little 
too  near  in  fact,  for  when  the  boom  was  swung  around 
into  its  usual  position  preparatory  to  dumping  the  dip- 
per, it  was  found  that  the  contents  of  the  dipper  would 
land  on  the  far  side  of  the  car  rather  than  in  it. 
By  spotting  the  cars  a  little  further  ahead  and  not 
swinging  the  boom  so  far  around,  this  difficulty  was 
overcome.  However,  a  new  dilemma  presented  itself, 
for  now,  on  account  of  the  boom  being  in  the  line  of 
sight,  the  runner  could  not  see  to  properly  spot  the 
dipper.  So  until  the  shovel  had  cut  in  again  far  enough 
to  dump  with  the  boom  swung  out  as  usual,  the  time 
per  swing  was  somewhat  increased. 

DRILLING   AND   BLASTING      The    rock   dips    toward 

the'  shovels  at  about  30 

degrees  from  the  horizontal.  Sixty  per  cent  forcite  in 
pieces  2"  x  6"  and  3"  x  8"  is  used.  There  were  four 
drills  in  front  of  No.  1138  and  three  behind,  the  latter 
drilling  the  holes.  In  front  of  No.  1073  there  were  four 
drills  but  none  behind.  During  one  week  of  seven  days, 
selected  at  random,  there  were  drilled  2258  feet  of  all 
large  and  small  holes  by  1 1  drills,  or  about  29  feet  per 
drill  day.  The  drillers  work  in  pairs  and  are  paid  by 
the  foot,  receiving  8  cents  a  foot,  large  holes ;  6  cents 
per  first  30  feet  of  small  holes  and  7  cents  a  foot  for  all 
over  30  feet.  A  crew  consists  of  two  drills,  two  drillers 
and  one  helper,  the  latter  receiving  1 7  ^  cents  an  hour. 
The  large  holes  finish  at  3^  inches.  The  holes  are  not 
sprung,  as  the  material  is  so  brittle  it  breaks  off  and  fills 
the  holes.  Both  top  and  toe  holes  are  drilled.  Ingersoll- 
Rand  drills  are  used  and  are  run  by  compressed  air. 

266 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

Dynamite  costs  12^  cents  a  pound.  At  each  shovel 
one  small  one-man  drill  was  kept  in  addition  for  making 
holes  for  light  blasts. 

SHOVELS  These  shovels  are  the  largest  and  strongest 
The  Bucyrus  Company  makes.  They  weigh 
95  tons  and  have  steel-plated  booms  and  dipper  handles, 
the  boom  being  swung  by  chain  instead  of  cable.  There 
are  two  water  tanks,  one  on  each  side  of  the  boiler,  and 
three  propelling  chains  instead  of  only  two.  A  crew 
consists  of  engineer,  craneman,  fireman  and  four  or 
five  pitmen.  There  were  four  on  No.  1073  and  five  on 
No.  1 138.  The  engineer,  craneman  and  fireman  receive 
time  and  a  half  for  overtime  and  the  two  former  are 
allowed  one  day  a  week  off  under  pay.  There  is  an 
extra  crew  who  work  nights  making  repairs  and  who 
substitute  when  the  regular  men  are  away. 

SUPPLIES  Water  is  supplied  to  the  shovel  from  a 
tank  on  top  of  the  quarry.  Coal  is  brought 
in  on  the  dinkeys  and  put  right  in  the  bunker  on  the 
shovel,  which  holds  about  five  tons.  Coal  costs  $1.70 
a  ton.  The  boilers  are  washed  out  once  a  week,  and 
this,  together  with  -the  general  repairs,  costs  about  $32 
a  week. 

TRANSPORTATION     The    hauling    is    done    by    four 
35-ton  dinkeys  drawing  ten  car 

trains.  There  are  five  of  these  dinkeys,  but  one  is 
taken  in  every  day  and  washed  and  overhauled.  Four 
of  them  are  new  engines.  Besides  these  there  are  two 
others  of  about  50  tons,  which  are  used  for  switching  the 
large  freight  cars.  The  dinkey  cars  are  five  cubic  yards 
capacity,  weigh  four  tons  empty  and  cost  $150  to  build. 
They  are  very  substantial,  being  lined  with  sheet  iron. 
The  door  is  tripped  automatically  when  the  cars  are 

267 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

dumped.  These  cars  ride  very  well  and  do  not  get 
off  the  track  under  ordinary  conditions.  No  brakes 
are  provided.  A  coal  tender  is  attached  to  each 
engine. 

COST  KEEPING  A  registering  clock  is  used  to 
keep  the  time  of  arrival  and  de- 
parture of  the  men.  From  these  cards  the  payroll  is 
made  up,  and  to  save  time  the  extensions  are  made 
weekly  on  the  cards  themselves.  The  timekeeper  goes 
over  the  job  during  the  day  to  check  up  the  men.  The 
payroll  is  made  up  on  a  large  sheet  about  10  inches  by  14 
inches.  All  purchases  are  made  by  the  main  office,  the 
requisition  being  made  in  duplicate  at  the  job.  One  copy 
is  sent  to  the  main  office  where  it  is  reviewed  by  the 
manager,  and  if  O.  K.,  is  copied  in  triplicate,  one  being 
kept  at  the  main  office,  one  sent  to  the  dealer,  and 
one  sent  to  the  job.  The  one  sent  to  the  job  is  in  the 
nature  of  a  receipt  and  is  returned  when  the  goods  are 
delivered.  At  the  job  the  payroll,  car  records  or  such 
other  matter  as  it  is  desired  to  keep  a  record  of,  is 
written  out  with  a  copying  pencil  and  copied  in  a  copy 
book. 

OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL 

Weight 95  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  cubic  yards 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel  bases  and  points 

Height  of  lift 8)4',  October  5  ;  7^',  October  3 

Height  blocked  up o' 

Number  of  pitmen 5 

Length  of  boom 30'  7" 

Length  of  dipper  handle 18'  6" 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 22'  g" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  tracks 28' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 22' 

268 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL—  Continued 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 27' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump !?/•£' 

Lowest  dipper  can  reach  to  dig  below  shovel  tracks    ...      4' 

Diameter  of  swing  circle 7' 

Height  of   dinkey  tracks   above  shovel  tracks,  October  3,   i'; 

October  5,  2^'. 
Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track,  October  5 

A.  M.,  10';  noon,  15';  P.  M.,  iS'io';  October  3,  19'  10". 
Weather  clear. 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) 46" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  lip 55" 

Depth  of  dipper,  including  teeth 74" 


OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY 

Number  of  cars  loaded 300 

Cubic  yards  excavated 1200 

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 5  cubic  yards 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 54'  6" 

Number  of  times  moved  forward  during  day 12 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move     ....      6' 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next,  48. 

Maximum  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next,  75/^. 

Minimum  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next,  30. 

Average  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 24 

Maximum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 30 

Minimum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move    .     .      •     .     .      17 
Time  between  moves  when  maximum  was  loaded,  51^,  64,  50 

and  44%  minutes. 
Time  between  moves  when  minimum  was  loaded  .      30  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  train 9^  minutes 

Number  of  cars  in  train     .     .     .     . 10 

Area  of  section 400  square  feet 

Height  of  face 23' 

N.umber  of  times  blasted  bank 3 

Average  time  to  make  one  blast      .      .      .      .13  hours  2  minutes 
Coal    used,    about    3    to    4   tons.      Could    not   be   ascertained 

accurately. 

Water    used,    could    not  be    ascertained;    stream  running  con- 
stantly. 

269 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY- FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

7:04:30  12:29:00 


Total  time  worked 
38  minutes. 


12:09:00  5:02:30 

Min.      Sec.          Min.      Sec.         Min. 
304       30   +    273       30  =   578  =  9 'hours 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      
Spotting  cars     
Waiting  for  cars  * 
Idle 

289 

*-> 

(137) 

CO 

00 
3° 

(45) 

A  r 

50.0 

0.4 
(23.8) 

8  8 

Leveling  in  front    
Drilling    
Blasting  
Preparing  to  move      .... 
Moving  shovel        
Idle     . 

38 

16 
H 
I? 

94 
(26) 

*iO 

00 

3° 
45 
45 
oo 
dO 

6.6 

2.8 

2-5 
3-1 
16.3 

(A    6) 

Blasting  (cars  on  hand)  . 
Waiting  for  trains  to  pull  out   . 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Pulling  in  and  breaking  bank 

24 
i 

28 

45 
30 

3° 

4-3 

°-3 

4.9 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

578 

oo 

IOO.O 

*The  whole  of  miscellaneous,  and  36  minutes  spent  in  mov- 
ing up,  was  also  accomplished  while  waiting  for  cars. 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner     

$"?  oo 

Craneman     . 

3.60 

Fireman 

2  .40 

5  pitmen  . 

7  •  SO 

$18.50 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation    ....     1200 
Based  on  observed  performance,  the  cubic  yards'loaded  per  day 

600 
of  10  hours  =r  1 200  X       r>  =  I245  cubic  yards. 

Cost  per  day  of  labor       _  $18.50        I49    cents    per   cubic 
Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day    1245 

270 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  waiting  for  blasters 

SI 

is 

9.2 

0-137 

0.137 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

289 

oo 

5O.O 

0-745  ) 

2.  Delays 

[ 

0.988 

a  Moving  up    .... 

94 

oo 

l6.3 

0.243  ) 

Charge  to  transportation  and 

dumping 

I.  Waiting  for  trains     . 
2.  Miscellaneous 

140 
i 

15 

30 

24.2 
0-3 

0.361   ) 
0.004  ( 

0.365 

57S 

oo 

IOO.O 

1.490 

Dipper  Perfo 

nuance 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Digging 

| 

2    O 

5? 

14.    ^ 

?6 

Swinging  loaded   . 
Swinging  loaded    . 

'      '.    1 

Time 

3-0 
3-0 

5-75 
5-75 

8-5 
7-5 

S2 

51 

Falling  empty  .     . 
Time  to  fill  and  load 

one  1 

Seconds 

2.5 

4-5 

12.5 

69 

dipperful 

.     .  J 

IO-5 

21.3 

43-o 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  Obs. 

No. 
Attempts 

Seconds       .     . 

14 

23-3 

43-75 

46 

61 

Number  of  observations  less  than  20"  =  19 
Number  of  observations  greater  than  20"  —  25 
Number  of  observations  at  20"  =  2 


OBSERVATIONS.     SECOND  DAY 
Number  of  cars  loaded       ............       210 

Cubic  yards  excavated      ......     .     .     .   -.     .     .       840 

Capacity  of  .cars,  water  measure       ......     5  cubic  yards 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day    .....        58'  6" 

Number  of  times  moved  forward  during  day    ......      9 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move   .....    7' 

Minimum  time  between   beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to  be- 

ginning of  next        ...........    32  minutes 

Average   time   between   beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to    be- 

ginning of  next        ...........    87  minutes 


271 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS.     SECOND  DAY— Continued 
Maximum  time  between   beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to  be- 
ginning of  next        1 80  minutes 

Minimum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move       ....          12 

Average  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 25.4 

Maximum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move  ....  43 
Time  between  moves  when  minimum  was  loaded  .  35  minutes 
Time  between  moves  when  maximum  was  loaded  145  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  train 1 1  ^  minutes 

Number  of  cars  in  train 10 

Area  of  section      .     .      Very  irregular  but  about  500  square  feet 

Height  of  face        23' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 8 

Average  time  to  make  one  blast 9*^  minutes 

Coal  used,  about  3  to  4  tons,  could  not  be  ascertained  accurately. 
Water  used,  could  not  be  ascertained;  kept  steam  running  con- 
stantly. 

TIME  STUDY.      SECOND   DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:16:00  12:59:30 

Stopped  work  12:34:00  7:13:00 

Min.          Min.         Sec. 

Total  time  worked  3l&   +  373        3°    =    691    minutes 

30  seconds  =  11  hours  31  minutes  30  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  
Spotting  cars  
Waiting  for  cars  
Waiting  for  trains  to  be  spotted 
Idle  
Tightening  jacks  
Clearing  track  
Blasting  
Moving  shovel  . 

243 
16 

(59 

12 

5 

5 
33 
146 

3° 

45 

00) 

30 
15 
15 
3° 
3° 

I  c 

35-  2 
2,4 

i.8 

0.8 
0.3 
0.8 
4.8 

21    2 

Idle  
Blasting  (cars  on  hand)  .  .  . 
Putting  car  on  and  clearing  track 
Clearing  track  

(193 
4i 

22 
I 

30) 
30 

OO 

oo 

6.0 

3-2 

O    I 

Drilling  
Waiting  for  trains  to  pull  out  . 
Miscellaneous  delays  .... 
Pulling  in  bank  to  clear  track  . 
Breaking  bank  

124 

(32 
21 
IO 

45 

30) 

45 
45 

18.1 
0.6 

y 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

69I 

30 

100.  0 

272 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cubic  yards  loaded  on  second  day  of  observation     .     .     .       840 
Based  on  observed  performance,  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day 
of  10  hours  •=  840  x  600    =  730. 

691-5 
Cost  per  day  of  labor       .     .          $i8.;o 

,      .  =  -  —  =  2 

Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day         730 

yard. 


cents  per  cubic 


Ti 

me 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 

•Total 

naysis 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Cost 

Charge   to  waiting  for 

blasters 

1  08 

4C 

28  8 

o  728 

o  728 

Charge  to  loading 

i   Actual  loading  .     .     . 

243 

30 

35-2 

0.890  ) 

2  Delays 

1.426 

a  Moving  up     ... 

146 

IS 

21.2 

0.536  ) 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i  Waiting  for  cars 
2  Miscellaneous  delays 

75 
27 

45 

y 

IO.9 
3-9 

0.276) 
O.  IOO  } 

0.376 

691 

30 

100.  0 

.   .   . 

-  •  53° 

Dipper  Performance 

No   of 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Obser- 

vations 

Digging    .-',/,/ 
Swinging  loaded 

Time 

3-5 
3-0 

7-5 
3-8 

19.0 
"•5 

89 

61 

Swinging  empty 
Falling  empty    . 

>       in 
seconds 

3-° 

2-5 

4-2 

4-5 

7.0 
9-5 

g 

Time  to  fill  and 

load  one 

dipperful 

12.  O 

20.  o 

47-0 

•• 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

No.  of 

Attempts 

Seconds 

13.5 

21.6 

54 

54 

60 

Number  of  observations  less  than  20"  =  28 
Number  of  observations  greater  than  20"  =  23 
Number  of  observations  at  20"  =  3 


273 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


SOME     DELAYS     TO     THE     LOADING     OF     TRAINS 

CAUSED    BY  THE    SHOVEL,  AND    THE 

TIME    CONSUMED 

Delay  in  loading ;  no  apparent  reason 7  minutes 

Moving  forward 22  minutes 

Blasting 25  minutes 

Some  time  on  the  various  operations  in  moving  forward: 

Front  clamps 

Moving 

Rear  clamps,  front  trucks 

Rear  clamps,  rear  trucks 

Carrying  and  placing  ties 

Carrying  and  placing  rails 

Bumper  tie 

Screwing  jacks,  jack  blocks  and  swinging  . 
Leveling  ties 


1 8"  to  32",  1 8"  to  15" 

42" 

45" 

60" 

30" 

...  6"  to  10" 
.  .  3'  4"  to  3'  6" 
93" 


Placing  rails 45" 

Front  clamps 20" 

Some  delays  to  the  loading  of  trains  caused  by  the  shovel  and 
the  time  consumed  are  as  follows  : 

Blasting 42  minutes 

Moving  forward 85  minutes 

Drilling 125  minutes 

Clearing  track 9  minutes 

TRANSPORTATION 


Train 
Number 

Time  for  Round 
Trip  from  Shovel 
to  Switch,  Minutes 

Time  Waiting  at 
Switch,  Minutes 

Time  Traveling 
from  Switch  to 
Shovel,  Minutes 

II 

11% 

9/2 

2^ 

I 

1S)^2 

4 

3X 

I 

12% 

8 

3 

II 

Went  to  1073 

I 

17 

o 

3 

I 

4°X 

0 

2/4^ 

12 

24 

0 

2/^ 

12 

8 

Went  to  1073 

I 

Io/^ 

2/ 

2j4 

II 

i6)4 

Went  to  1073 

I 

3l% 

Went  to  1073 

2 

ii 

3/2 

2 

Averages   . 

17-6 

3-4 

2.6 

Average  time  for  round  trip  =  23.6  minutes. 


274 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


DINKEY  No.  2— 35-TON 


Minutes 

Feet 

Feet  Per 
Minute 

Waiting  for  empties    .... 

14 

. 

. 

Crusher  to  switch  A  .... 

4 

2050 

510 

Switch  A  to  Shovel  1138      .     . 

iX 

600 

400 

Shovel  1138  to  crusher   . 

3^ 

2650 

760 

Round  trip  (exclusive  of  delays) 

9 

53°° 

590 

Delays 

Letting  loaded  train  out   . 

'# 

Clearing  track  and  blasting  . 

6 

Loading    ....... 

16 

Round  trip  (including  delays)    . 

yy* 

53oo 

^63 

•"  J*idl^BVP 


Fig.  63.     Bucyrus   Shovel  No.   1138 


275 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


.$;§.: 


276 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  64 


Fig.  65.     Two  Views  of  Bucyrus  Shovels  Handling  Crushed  Rock. 
Brownell  Improvement  Company,  Thornton,  111. 


277 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  32  -  -  SHOVEL  No.  1073 

INSPECTED  OCTOBER  2-8,  1908 
BROWNELL  IMPROVEMENT  CO. 

THORNTON,  ILL. 
See  Report  31,  page  265,  for  Description,  etc. 

OBSERVATIONS  GENERAL 

Weight 95-ton 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper 2.3  cubic  yards 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel  bases  and  points 

Height  of  lift 12' 

Height  blocked  up o 

Number  of  pitmen 4 

Length  of  boom 30' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 18' 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 22'  9" 

Height  of  boom  above  shovel  tracks 28' 

Horizontal  reach  of  boom 22' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 27' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump l7/4f 

Lowest  dipper  can  reach  to  dig  below  shovel  tracks      .     .         4' 

Diameter  of  bull  wheel        8>£' 

Height  of  dinkey  tracks  above  shovel  tracks  .  .  .  .  $y2' 
Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track  .  .  23^' 

Depth  of  dipper  (water  measure) 46" 

Depth  of  dipper  including  lip $5/2" 

Depth  of  dipper  including  teeth 72" 

OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY 

Cubic  yards  excavated    ..*» 910 

Number  of  cars  loaded 227^ 

Capacity  of  cars  (water  measure) 5  cubic  yards 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day  .  .  .  .  40'  6" 
Number  of  times  moved  forward  during  day  .  ....  7 
Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move  .  .  .  .6' 
Minimum  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and 

beginning  of  next 53%  minutes 

Average    time    between    beginning    of    one    shovel   move   and 

beginning  of  next Si1^  minutes 

Maximum   time    between   beginning   of   one   shovel   move   and 

beginning  of  next 116^  minutes 

Minimum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move     ....         20 

278 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY— Conttmied 
Average  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move       ....      30.7 
Maximum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move   ....         40 
Time  between  moves  when  maximum  was  loaded     108^  minutes 
Time  between  moves  when  minimum  was  loaded       $3%  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  train 12  minutes 

Number  of  cars  in  train  . 10 

Area  of  section 259  square  feet 

Height  of  face 18' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 1 1 

Average  time  to  make  one  blast 10.1 

Coal  used,  about  3  or  4  tons. 

TIME  STUDY.     FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:42:30  12:28:00 

Stopped  work  12:06:30  6:00:00 

Total  time  worked     264    -+-    332  minutes  =  9  hours  56  minutes 

=  596  minutes. 

These  are  the  times  wiien  the   observations  began  and  ceased. 
The  shovel  worked  12  hours. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

261 

OO 

43-8 

Spotting  cars     

4 

3° 

0.8 

Waiting  for  cars    .      .           .      . 

(143 

30) 

(24.1) 

Idle     ,     

3° 

5-o 

Oiling  chain       

25 

30 

4-3 

Wiping  engine,  etc  

8 

3° 

1.4 

Blasting  

68 

00 

11.4 

Waiting  for  trains  to  be  spotted 

4 

OO 

0.7 

Leveling  in   front  for  moving 

forwrard     

7 

3° 

:-3 

Moving  shovel       

80 

i'S 

13-5 

Idle     ..."        

(81 

30) 

(13-6) 

Waiting  for  train  to  pull  out    . 

i 

OO 

O.2 

Blasting  (cars  on  hand) 

42 

45 

7.i 

Taking  coal       

*9 

3-2 

Putting  two  cars  on  track    . 

7 

3° 

I-3 

Breaking   boulder  with   sledge 

6 

3° 

I  .  I 

Oiling  machine 

2 

A.  ^ 

O    A. 

Minor  repairs 

TO 

w  .4 

O    "3 

Miscellaneous  delays 

(25 

*>) 

w  •  J 

(4-2) 

Breaking  bank        

24 

15 

4-0 

Handling  boulder        .... 

I 

0.2 

Total   time   under   observation 

596 

OO 

IOO.O 

279 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Base 

Runner    .... 

$  c    QO 

Craneman 

7    60 

Fireman        .                                  ... 

J  •  ^^ 

4  pitmen                   .           

$17  oo 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation      .     .     .     .     910 
Based  on  observed  performance,  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day 

of  10  hours  =  910  X  — ^  =  916  cubic  yards. 
Cost  direct  labor  per  day  $ 1 7.00 


Number  cubic  yards  per  day        916 


•=i.86  cents  per  cubic  yards. 


Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  waiting  for  blasters 

74 

3° 

I2.5 

0.232 

0.232 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading      .     .     . 

261 

43-8 

0.815-] 

2.  Delays 

I 

a    Moving  up   .... 

80 

IS 

13-5 

0.251  r 

I-I39 

b   Miscellaneous  . 

23 

45 

3-9 

0.073  j 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 
2.  Miscellaneous       .     .     . 

149 

7 

oo 
3° 

25.0 

'•3 

0.465  ) 
0.024  ( 

0.489 

596 

oo 

IOO.O 

.... 

i.  860 

Dipper  Performance 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Digging 
Swinging  loaded 
Swinging  loaded 
Falling  empty     . 
Time  to  fill  and 
load   one   dip- 
perful      .     . 

Time 

>•        in 
Seconds 

2-5 
2-5 

1.0 

2.7 

8.7 

4.8 
4.6 

3-9 

3-8 

17.1 

9.0 
9-0 

7.0 
7.0 

32.0 

8l 
76 

68 

69 

280 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  Obs. 

No. 

Attempts 

Seconds  .     .     . 

15.5 

19.5 

29-5 

67 

69 

Number  of  observations  less  than  20"  =  45 
Number  of  observations  greater  than  20"  =  17 
Number  of  observations  at  20"  =  5 

67 

SOME  OF  THE  DELAYS  TO  LOADING  TRAINS,  AND 

TIME  CONSUMED 
Shovel  crew  getting  to  work 3^  minutes 


43 

52 

*„ 

i8 


minutes 
minutes 
minutes 
minutes 
minutes 
minutes 
minutes 


Blasting 

Moving  forward 

Oiling  machine 

Breaking  boulder  with  sledge 
Waiting  for  trains  ahead  to  load 
Shovel  breaking  bank     . 
Shovel  taking  coal     .... 
Some  times  on  the  various  operations  in  moving  forward  were 
obtained  and  are  as  follows : 

Moving        .     .     .      .     . 29^",  32",  15" 

Screwing  jacks  and  swinging 
Leveling  in  front 

Carrying  and  placing  ties 2^"-^2r' 

Carrying  and  placing  rails        45"-55" 

Screwing  rail  clamps 50"- 2 5" 

Front  clamps        5o"-27" 

Rear  clamps 15" 

Leveling  rails       .  4o"-57" 

Placing  bumper  tie         5" 


12  minutes- 1 3/  minutes 


OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY 

Number  of  cars  loaded 225 

Cubic  yards  excavated    .    900  (cars  equal  4  yards,  place  measure) 

Capacity  of  cars  (water  measure) 5  cubic  yards 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day  ....  44'  6" 
Number  of  times  moved  forward  during  day  ....  8 
Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move  ...  6' 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next  67^  minutes 


281 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY— Continued 

Maximum  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next        80^  minutes 

Minimum  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next 50^  minutes 

Average  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move  ....  30 
Maximum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move  ....  34 
Minimum  number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move  ....  26 
Times  between  moves  when  maximum  was  loaded,  76^  minutes 
Times  between  moves  when  minimum  was  loaded,  37  minutes 
Average  time  to  load  on  train  :  12  minutes  for  ic-car  trains;  19 
minutes  for  15-car  trains. 

Number  of  cars  in  train 10;  3  trains  of  1 5  cars 

Area  of  section 280  square  feet 

Height  of  face 20  feet 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 7 

Average  time  to  make  one  blast 7.7  minutes 

Coal  used,  about  3  to  4  tons.    Could  not  be  ascertained  accurately. 
Water  used  could  not  be  ascertained.     Tank  leaked. 


TIME  STUDY.     SECOND  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:16:00*  12:00:00 

Stopped  work  12:00:00  6:50:00 


Min. 

284 


12:00:00 

Min. 
+   410  —  694  min.  =   ii  hours  34 


Total  time  worked 

minutes. 
*This   is    the    time    when    the  observation  began. 

started  at  6:00. 


The 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  
Spotting  cars       
Waiting  for  cars       
Idle    .... 

272 
I 
(122 

c6 

OO 
OO 
15) 

•30 

39-2 
0.  I 

(17.6 

8  i 

Oiling  chain     
Blasting  
Minor  repairs  
Moving  shovel 

10 
34 

21 

76 

J1-1 

00 

30 
15 

1.4 
5-o 
3-1 

II    O 

Idle        .... 

(2I  C 

1  J 

AC] 

(->i   i\ 

Oiling  crane  engine       .     .     . 
Putting  on  oil  cup 
Oiling  chain 

4 

3 

^J  I 
OO 

15 

0.6 

0.5 

o   c 

Minor  repairs  . 

1  J 

u-  5 

282 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Blasting  (cars  on  hand)     .     . 
Getting  up  steam      .... 
Repairing  safety  valve  . 
Getting  ready  to  dig 
Taking  coal     
Repairing  water  pipe     .     .     . 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Breaking  bank     

20 
46 

118 

2 
IO 

5 
6 

15 
3° 
3° 

oo 
oo 

00 

4.C 

2.9 
6.7 

I7.I 

o-3 
1.4 

0.7 

I    O 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

694 

OO 

IOO.O 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  second  day  of  observation      .     .     .     900 
Based  on  observed  performance,  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day 
of  10  hours  =r  900  x  600 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day      $17.00 
^  -  r  --  r~-  --  3  ---  ^~=  -  5 
Number  cubic  yards  per  day          778 


=2  •  lo  cents  per  cubic  yard. 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard 
in  Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge     to     waiting     for 

blasters     :, 

29 

OO 

4.2 

0.092 

0.092 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading       .     . 

272 

00 

39-2 

0.854! 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up      ... 

76 

IS 

I  I  .O 

0.240  ^ 

I  .702 

b  Repairs       .... 

H7 

oo 

19.7 

0.429 

c  Miscellaneous      .     . 

S6 

30 

8.2 

0.179) 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

I.     Waiting  for  cars 

123 

15 

17.7 

0.386 

0.386 

694 

oo 

IOO.O 

2.180 

Dipper  Performance 

Number 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

of 
Obser- 

vations 

Digging       

1 

2-5 

5-9 

15.5 

75 

Swinging  loaded       .     . 

Timp 

3-5 

6.2 

IO-5 

Swinging  empty  .     .     . 

2-5 

4.3 

7-5 

47 

Falling  empty 
Time    to    fill  and  load 

|  Seconds 

2-5 

7.0 

61 

one  dipperful    .     .     . 

J 

ii  .0 

20.5 

40.5 

•• 

283 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  of 
Obs. 

No   of 
Attempts 

Seconds  .... 

14 

23.4 

43X 

46 

49 

Number  of  observations  less  than  20  seconds  =  19 
Number  of  observations  greater  than  20  seconds  =  25 
Number  of  observations  at  20  seconds  =  2 

46 

SOME    CAUSES    OF    DELAYS    TO   THE  LOADING    OF 
TRAINS   AND  THE  TIME  CONSUMED 


Delays 

Minutes 

Oiling  chains      
Waiting  for  train  ahead  to  load    .... 
Minor  repairs  to  shovel  
Blasting 

I 

5 

i 

3% 

33/2 

iV 

71  \f 

Getting  up  steam    
Moving   forward    and    waiting    for    train 
ahead  to  load      
Moving  forward      
Putting  on  oil  cup  . 
Engine  getting  ready  to  dig      
Oiling  crane  engine     

4 

i 

3 

i 
i 
i 

3l/4 

41% 

29 
3'* 

3% 

¥ 

4 

Some  times  on  the  various  operations  in  moving  forward 
were  obtained  and  are  as  follows : 

Carrying  and  placing  rails 43//-35"-47/'-57// 

Bolts  and  plates 35/'-65//-6o// 

Front  clamps 35//~33//~25//~55// 

Bumper  tie 10"-$" 

Moving          2\"-\s)'!-2T>"-i-j" 

Screwing  jack,  placing  jack  blocks  and  swinging  .  2'  15",  i'  40", 

i'  24",  3'  28" 
Leveling  rock  service  in  front  for  ties    .    3  minutes,  6'  30"- 6'  30" 

Unscrewing  jacks 23" 

Unbolting  rails  in  rear 6o"-2$" 

Carrying  rails  from  rear  to  alongside  jacks 25" 

Carrying  ties  from  rear  to  front 2'  31" 

Leveling  ties 26"-!'  45" 

Leveling  rails 2  $"-200" 

Clamps  and  blocks  (rear  of  front  truck) i  '-35"-35'' 


284 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Train 
Number 

Times  for 
Round  Trip 
Minutes 

Engine 
Number 

Time  from 
Shovel  to 
Stopping  Place 

Time 
Waiting 

II 
1  1 

2 
2 
II 
2 
II 

2 
II 

II 

28 

20^ 
27 
26 
30 
32 
2O 

18 

24 

25 

^ 

I 
II 
IO 
II 
IO 
10 
12 
I 

J3 
i? 

20 

33 
24 
24 
29 

30 

3° 

29 
16 

14 

3l 

i? 
8 

Averages            23-8                   22 

Average 

300 

25 

DINKEY  No.   12— 35-TON 


Minutes 

Feet 

Feet  Per 
Minute 

Crusher  to  shovel  .... 
Loading  
Shovel  to  switch 

7 
"># 

4130 
7OO 

590 
^O 

Switch  to  top  of  grade  . 

2 

IOOO 

500 

DINKEY  No.   10— 35-TON 


Minutes 

Feet 

Feet  Per 
Minute 

Shovel  to  switch  A    .... 
Switch  A  to  crusher  .... 

Switching                .           . 

3 

\y2 

700 
2050 

350 
680 

Crusher  to  switch  C  . 
Switch  C  to  shovel  No.  1138   . 
Shovel  1138  to  crusher  .      .     . 
Round  trip  (exclusive  of  delays) 
Delays  —  Waiting  for  empties   . 
Loading    
Round  trip  (including  delays)    . 

1* 

4^ 
13* 

28^ 
4i# 

5°5° 
2500 
2650 
10200 

I020O 

IOIO 

670 

590 
770 

245 

285 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


DINKEY  No.   1— 35-TON 


Minutes 

Feet 

Feet  Per 
Minute 

Crusher  to  shovel  No.  1073 
Shovel  No.  1073  to  switch  A  . 
Switch  A  to  crusher  .... 
Round  trip  (exclusive  of  delays) 
Delays  —  Loading        .... 
Round  trip  (including  delays)  . 

8 

2^ 

«3# 

lO/2 

24 

4130 
700 
20  ^o 

6880 

515 

m 

510 
290 

REPORT  No.  33  —  SHOVEL  No.  1096 

INSPECTED    JULY    27,    28,    1909 

D.,  L.  &  W.  CUT-OFF 
NEAR   JOHNSONBURG,  N.  J. 

LOCATION  AND  MATERIAL      The  contractor  for  sec- 
tion No.  5,  D.,  L.  &  W. 

cut-off,  is  the  Hyde-McFarlin- Burke  Company.  This 
section  is  located  in  slate  and  limestone  and  is  about 
three  miles  long,  being  about  equally  divided  between 
cut  and  fill.  Figs.  66  and  67  give  an  idea  of  the  nature 
of  the  material  in  which  No.  1096  and  No.  1097  have 
cut  through.  This,  however,  was  not  the  same  as  during 
our  inspection,  at  which  time  the  digging  was  easy  and 
no  time  was  spent  in  handling  boulders,  although  on  the 
second  day  (No.  1096)  19  minutes  (total  of  three  times) 
was  spent  in  blasting  a  portion  of  a  projecting  ledge. 

SHOVELS    These  two  shovels  are  exactly  alike.    They 

weigh  70  tons,  have  standard  gauge  railway 

car  trucks,  and  all  steel  boom  and  dipper  handles,  the 

former  being  of  the  lattice  type.     For  the  purpose  of 


286 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  66 


Fig.  67.    View  Showing  Materials  Encountered  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R. 
Near  Johnsonburg,  N.  J. 

287 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Fig.  68 


&^ 

";-     J--~  - 


Fig.  69.     Views  Showing  Method  of  Moving  Back  Shovel  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 
R.  R.  Near  Johnsonburg,  N.  ]. 


288 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


-x 


Fig. 


70.    View  Showing  Device  for  Turning  Cars  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R. 
Near  Johnsonburg,  N.  J. 


drilling  holes  for  small  blasts  these  machines  are  fitted 
with  a  small  air  compressor  and  tank.  The  compressor 
is  located  in  the  rear  left-hand  corner  of  the  shovel  and 
takes  up  a  space  about  6  feet  high  by  one  foot  in  diam- 
eter. The  jacks  fold  against  the  A  frame. 

These  shovels  have  been  in  use  constantly  on  this 
work,  and  in  some  very  hard  digging,  for  just  about  a 
year,  but  show  no  wear. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  get  the  angle  that  the  dipper 
makes  with  the  vertical  when  the  dipper  handle  is  hori- 
zontal. Any  such  measurements  to  be  of  any  use  must 
be  exact,  as  the  variations  in  the  angle  would  be  so 
small  that  rough  figures  would  be  misleading.  In  gen- 
eral the  dippers  were  at  the  same  angle  on  each  shovel, 

289 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

although   that   on   No.    1096   may   have   been   a   trifle 
greater. 

These  shovels  have  the  lever  device  for  dropping  the 
ashes  and  turning  the  grate. 

ARRANGEMENT  The  track  arrangement  on  this  job, 
because  of  its  extent, circuitous  route, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  uneven  country,  its  splendid  facilities 
for  serving  cars  to  the  shovel,  is  of  special  interest.  The 
sketch  shows  accurately  the  arrangement  and  gives  the 
grades  and  distances.  All  distances  shown  were  meas- 
ured, and  all  grades  were  obtained  by  a  hand  level  and 
by  pacing  the  distance.  The  maximum  grade  against 
the  empties  was  5.8  per  cent,  and  it  was  observed  that 
the  dinkeys  could  only  get  up  this  by  acquiring  plenty 
of  speed  beforehand,  or  else  by  applying  the  brakes  and 
shutting  off  steam  every  time  the  wheels  slipped.  On 
the  sketch  are  indicated  the  direction  of  traffic  and  loca- 
tion of  the  grades. 

TRANSPORTATION  With  the  dump  i^  miles  from 
the  shovels,  and  two  shovels  work- 
ing, the  subject  of  transportation  becomes  of  vital 
importance.  For  this  reason  a  detailed  study  of  the 
time  for  a  round  trip  together  with  the  time  and  causes 
of  delays  was  made. 

Vulcan  dinkeys  are  used,  and  the  cars,  which  are 
side  dump  on  one  side  only,  were  made  by  the  South 
Baltimore  Car  &  Foundry  Company,  Curtis  Bay,  Balti- 
more, Md.  One  of  the  illustrations  (Fig.  70)  shows 
the  device  for  turning  the  cars  when  the  fill  must  be 
made  on  the  opposite  side. 

MOVING   BACK     On  the  second  day  of  our  inspection, 

shovel   No.    1097    was   moved    back 

1063  feet,  and  on  the  fourth  day,  shovel  No.  1096  was 

290 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

moved.  The  method  employed  for  moving  both  shovels 
is  plainly  shown  in  the  illustrations  (Figs.  68  and  69),  and 
as  it  was  somewhat  different  from  others  that  have  been 
observed,  it  will  bear  some  description.  Two  horses  and 
sixteen  men  were  used,  eight  lengths  of  30  feet  6o-pound 
rail  and  about  one  hundred  ties,  besides  bridles,  spikes, 
etc.  The  shovel  is  moved  back  two  rail  lengths  at  a 
time,  the  forward  rails  and  ties  being  taken  up  and 
hauled  by  the  horses  to  the  rear,  where  the  laborers  lift 
them  into  place.  Two  men  stay  in  front  to  unbolt  as 
soon  as  the  shovels  move  back,  two  others  take  up  the 
ties  as  the  horses  haul  away  the  rails.  One  man  is  re- 
quired to  follow  the  chain  used  for  hauling  the  ties  to 
see  that  it  does  not  get  caught  in  an  obstruction,  it 
being  apparently  too  heavy  to  throw  over  a  horse's 
back.  Four  men  are  kept  in  the  rear  to  lay  the  ties  as 
they  come  in,  and  the  remaining  men  go  where  in- 
structed. Eight  men  are  required  to  lift  each  rail  into 
place.  The  bridles  are  carried  forward  by  the  men,  or 
else  laid  among  the  ties  that  the  horse  draws.  There 
are  enough  extra  ties  to  support  the  first  rails  that  are 
brought,  and  these  are  laid  while  the  shovel  is  moving, 
so  that  there  is  no  delay  when  the  rails  are  taken  up. 

CONTRACTOR'S  METHODS      The  form  submitted  here- 
with   is    used    for   labor 

distribution.  It  fails,  however,  in  that  it  does  not  show 
(and  the  contractor  does  not  know)  on  what  part  of  the 
work  the  men  are  engaged  in  making  repairs. 

OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  yards 

Kind  of  teeth  on  dipper Manganese  steel 

Height  blocked  up o 

Weather,  clear. 

Maximum  height  dipper  can  reach  to  dump    ....  18' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 18'  6" 

Length  of  boom 28.5' 

Maximum  distance  dipper  can  reach  to  dump      .      .      .  28.8' 

Maximum  distance  dipper  can  reach  to  dig     ....  30' 

291 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM   SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL—  Continued 

Greatest  depth  dipper  can  dig 7' 

Diameter  of  bull  wheel        

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 4.00  cubic  yards 

Number  of  cars  in  train 9  and  10 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 5'  8" 

Length  of  haul  (approximate) 7500' 

Length  of  runaround 3.61  miles 

Weight  of  dinkeys 18  tons 

Style  of  car Side  dump  on  one  side  only 

Height  of  top  of  cars  above  shovel  track !5-2/ 

Gauge  of  dinkey  tracks Narrow 

Number  of  trains 7 

Average  time  for  round  trip 45  minutes 

Maximum  grades  for  loads  .  .  4.0  per  cent  and  3.0  per  cent 
Maximum  grades  for  empties  .  .  plus  5.8  per  cent-2  per  cent 
Complete  trains  for  grades. 

Time  traveling  to  dump 18.8  minutes 

Time  traveling  from  dump  to  shovel      ....        17.7  minutes 

Average  time  to  dump  cars 4.9  minutes 

Distance  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track      .  23.4' 

OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 2.^6 

Number  of  cars  loaded 468 

Cubic  yards  excavated 1685 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 16 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 5'  n" 

Total  distance  moved  during  day 95' 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper  .  .  .  .0086 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .014  minute 
Time  sh.ovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains  ...  9  minutes 
Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  608 

Coal  used 3.1 6  tons 

Area  of  section 559-3  square  feet 

Height  of  face .     .     .     14' (average) 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank i 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once 7-34  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot  .     .     .     .      1.28  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 0.929  minute 

Pounds  of  coal  per  cubic  yard  excavated 3.75 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move 7' 

Average  time  for  one  swing 23.4  seconds 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to  beginning 

of  next        38.0 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 29.1 

292 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 

6:29:00 

11:53:30 


Afternoon 

12:25:00 

5:56:00 


Min.    Sec. 


Min. 


Min.    Sec. 


Total  time  worked      324     30    -f    331  =  655    30  =  10  hours  55 
minutes  30  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working   
Spotting  cars       
Waiting  for  cars      
Moving  shovel    
Idle   
Repairing  chain   
Jacking  

434 
6 

9 
117 

(3i) 

25 
a 

54 
36 
oo 

3° 
(30) 
3° 

66.3 
I.O 

1-4 

17.9 
(4.8) 
3-8 

o  £ 

Oiling  up     
Miscellaneous  delays   .... 
Clearing  way  
Placing  car  on  track      .     .     . 

3 
(56) 
43 
13 

•• 

0-5 
(8.6) 
6.6 

2.0 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

655 

3° 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner                                                                         , 

&  c  oo 

C  ran  email     ...                     . 

•?  60 

Fireman  .     .     .     .     .     .     .     ,     .     .     .     .     .".-. 
8  pitmen       

2.40 

12.00 

$23.00 

Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  during  first  day  of  observation,  1685. 
Based  on  above  performance  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  of 

600 
10  hours  =  1685  X  -7 •  =  1542. 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day       _  $23.00 1.49  cents  per  cubic 

Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day          1 542  yard. 


293 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard 
in  Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

434 

S4 

66.3 

o  .  988  ] 

2.   Delays 

| 

a  Moving  up     . 

117 

3° 

17.9 

0.266  [- 

I  .  ^26 

b  Repairs      .... 

2S 

3° 

3-8 

0.057   | 

c  Miscellaneous     .      .          6 

oo 

i  .0 

0.015J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.   Waiting  for  cars    . 
2.   Miscellaneous 

5* 

36 

2.4 

8.5 

0.036  I 
0  .  I  28  f 

o.  164 

655 

3° 

IOO.O 

•  •  • 

1.49 

Analysis  of  complete  dipper  swing 


Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 

Obs. 

Digging 
Swinging 
Swinging 
Falling 

loaded  .     . 
empty    .     . 

Time 
in 

Seconds 

7 
4-5 

2 

I?*'.7 
4-6 

3-5 

39 

16 
6 

22 

31 
31 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one  dipperful 

15.5 

34.i 

83 

31 

Number  of  attempts  to  fill  dipper 
Number  of  complete  dipperfuls     . 

Dipper  efficiency,  47  .  j%. 


65 
31 


Time  for  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Seconds       .... 

17 

23.4 

34 

31 

294 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Number  of  swings  per  minute 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Observations 

1.8 

2.56 

3-5 

31 

COST  OF  MOVING  BACK.     STANDARD  BASIS 


Runner      

.  for    .25  days  .  (a), 

#5.00 

$    6.25 

Craneman      

.  for    .25  days  .  @ 

3.60 

4-5° 

Fireman     .     .    -.     .     .     . 

.  for    .25  days  .  @ 

2.40 

3.00 

14  laborers     

.  for    3^  hours  @ 

°-l5 

28.35 

2  drivers    

.  for    3^  hours  @ 

°-l5 

4.05 

2  horses     

.  for    .23  days  .  @ 

l-$° 

3-69 

4  pipe  fitters  

.  for    .25  days  .  @ 

2.OO 

IO.OO 

Coal      

.  2  tons    .     .     .  @ 

3-5° 

7.00 

Oil  and  waste     .... 

i  .00 

Shifting  track  : 

5  laborers  

.  for  13^  hours  @ 

0.15 

IO.  12 

9  laborers  

.  for  1  1  hours   .  @ 

o.iS 

14.85 

i  foreman  

.  for  1.25  days  .  @ 

2.00 

2.50 

Total  cost  to  move  back 



^S^1 

Total  distance  moved     .     .    • IQ63  feet 

Total  time  required l-2S  days 

Total  number  of  employed 46  * 

Cost  per  foot  moved 9.0  cents 

Cost  per  foot  per  man    .     . 0.196  cent 

*  Includes    shifting   track  ;  one  horse  taken  as  equivalent  of 
four  men. 


.    266 
•   958 


OBSERVATIONS—SECOND  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 

Number  of  cars  loaded 

Cubic  yards  excavated 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day  .... 
Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .  .019  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day,  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  617^ 
Shovel  expenses  in  cents,  one  day,  not  including  superintendent 
and  overhead  or  preparatory  charges 3349 


6' 

75 


4 

.013 


295 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY— Continued 

Coal  used 2.42  tons 

Area  of  section 467  square  feet 

Height  of  face 12.7' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank        3 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once 9-°^3  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot      .     .     .      1-311  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 1.170  minutes 

Pounds  of  coal  used  per  cubic  yard  excavated     ....        5.05 
Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport  and  spread  one  cubic  yard,  12.26 
cents. 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 22.2 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move       .     .     .      6'  6" 

Average  time  for  one  swing       23.3  seconds 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next 55.1  seconds 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 


Afternoon 


Started  work  6:30  12:35 

Stopped  work  12:06  6:05 

Total  time  worked  336  minutes  +  330  minutes  =  666  minutes 
1 1  hours  6  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  

3" 

15 

46-7 

Spotting  cars       

OO 

0.8 

Waiting  for  cars       .     .     .     .     . 

148 

oo 

22.2 

Moving  shovel    

109 

OO 

l64 

Idle   

(68 

15) 

(10.2) 

Blasting       

19 

3° 

2.9 

Repairing  chain   

10 

oo 

l-S 

Trouble  with  water  pipe    .     . 

38 

45 

5.8 

Miscellaneous  delays 

Clearing  track      

24 

30 

3  7 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

666 

oo 

IOO.O 

Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  on  second  day  of  observation,  958. 
.Based  on  the  above  performance,  the  number  of  cubic  yards  loaded 

per  day  of  10  hours  =  958  X  -^  =  865. 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day        _  $23.00  _  2.66  cents  per  cubic 
Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day  "     568  yard. 


296 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVP:LWORK 


Ti 

me 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Cost 

Charge  to  loosening  or  break- 
ing        
Charge  ta  loading 
i.  Actual  loading 
2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up    .... 
b  Repairs     

T9 

3" 
109 

IO 

3° 
J5 

oo 
oo 

2.9 
46.7 

l6.4 
I.C 

0.077 

1-243] 

0.436  > 

o  040 

0.077 
1.873 

c   Miscellaneous  .     .     . 
Charge   to   transporting  and 
dumping 
i  .  Waiting  for  cars  .     .     . 
2.  Miscellaneous       .     .     . 

38 

153 
24 

45 

oo 
3° 

5.8 

23.0 

3-7 

Q.I54J 

0.612  ) 
0.098  ( 

0.710 

666 

oo 

IOO.O 

2.660 

Analysis  of  complete  dipper  swing 


Mini- 

Aver- 

Maxi- 

No. of 

mum 

age 

mum 

Obs. 

Digging         .     .     . 
Swinging  loaded  . 

]     Time 

4 

4 

10.4 
6.9 

i6/2 

26 

23 

Swinging  empty    . 
Falling     .... 

j  Seconds 

3 
3 

4.8 
6.4 

9 

7 

14 
12 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one  dipperful 

14 

28.5 

$7/2 

•• 

Number  of  attempts  to  fill  dipper 33 

Number  of  complete  dipperfuls 26 

Dipper  efficiency  =  78.8  per  cent. 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Seconds       .... 

I2# 

23.3 

34 

16 

297 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Number  of  swings  per  minute 


Maximum 

Average 

Minimum 

Number  of 
Observations 

4.8 

2-57 

1.77 

16 

It   is    our    understanding   that  the  number    of  cars  loaded 
daily  for  the  months  of  1909,  as  designated,  is  as  follows  : 


February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

I 

112 

260 

216 

206 

200 

320 

2 

262 

216 

1  68 

Sunday 

200 

424 

3 

4 

262 
176 

216 
104 

40 
Sunday 

200 
200 

216 

80 

Sunday 

5 

168 

144 

184 

206 

200 

459 

6 

216 

184 

144 

2IO 

Sunday 

387 

7 

Sunday 

Sunday 

176 

200 

234 

189 

8 

208 

168 

165 

216 

J52 

414 

9 

176 

216 

!50 

Sunday 

216 

450 

10 

56 

208 

192 

224 

So 

432 

ii 

147 

1  02 

Sunday 

168 

Sunday 

12 

206 

!52 

132 

176 

I3 
I4 

184 
Sunday 

168 
Sunday 

200 
16 

Sunday 

459 
4*5 

IS 

144 

128 

'56 

1  60 

. 

35  1 

16 

102 

208 

190 

Sunday 

396 

J7 

128 

184 

180 

200 

18 

240 

216 

Sunday 

256 

Sunday 

J9 

Moved 

200 

202 

262 

4°5 

20 

21 

Back 
Sunday 

232 
Sunday 

96 
252 

280 
208 

Sunday 

474 
410 

22 

105 

168 

326 

160 

1  60 

371 

23 

136 

156 

140 

Sunday 

280 

282 

24 

1  20 

180 

240 

264 

3i8 

25 

232 

192 

Sunday 

216 

248 

Sunday 

26 

232 

224 

1  60 

1  60 

256 

363 

27 
28 

232 
Sunday 

156 
Sunday 

105 
235 

272 
160 

Sunday 
200 

29 

i 

*75 

200 

240 

376 

3° 

184 

140 

Sunday 

312 

3i 

•  • 

165 

208 

Totals 

3844 

4816 

4029 

5°44 

3644 

Average 

i75 

i8S 

1  68 

202 

214 

38i 

[Not  Com- 

plete Mo.] 

298 


II  ArN  I)  BOOK    O,F    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


HYDE-MCFARLIN-BURKE  COMPANY 

DAILY  TIME  REPORT 

SHOVEL  NO ___  ENGINEER  .___ 


NO. 

RS.RATE    AMOUNT 

TOTAL 

NO. 

R8J 

ATE 

TOTAL 

GENERAL  WORK 
Superi  n  tenden  t 

BRT.  FORWARD 

HAND   EXCAV. 

Watchman 

S.3.EXPENSE 
S.S.Enyineer-- 

Waterboy. 



Cranesman. 

DITCHING 

Laborers  

TRAINMEN 
Locomotive  Eng' 

Water  boy..     _. 

Brakeman 

Switchman 



For^manNG 



Oiler 

Sandman 

Laborers  ..    

Laborers 

TRACK 

... 

Teams.. 

Laborers 

TRESTLE 
Foreman     .  - 

Teamster- 
Helper....     . 



Carpenters 



Laborers 

DUMP 

- 

Waterboy.. 

DAY'S   EXPENSE 
PREVIOUS 

DRILL  &    BLAST 
foreman 

Earth  Moved  
Previous  

Rock  Moved  

Drillers  ..     . 
Powderman  

SE^RS  
Mechanic 

\Large  Cart  

Yards  per  Large  Car.... 
Yards  per  Small  Car  
Total            , 

Blacksmith  

Total....     

Helpers 

Small  Cars  

Shovel  Worked  hrs. 

Previous 

Correct: 

—  ' 

Trains 

Superintendent. 

Laborers  

FORWARD  

Timekeeper. 

DISTRIBUTE    ENTIRE  LABOR  FOR  THE  DAY    UNDER  HEADS  NOTED  HEREON 


299 


HANDBOOK    OF     STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Is 


300 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  34 --SHOVEL  No.  1097 

INSPECTED  JULY  26  AND  28,  1909 

D.,  L.  &  W.   CUT-OFF 
NEAR  JOHNSONBURG,  N.  J. 

SHOVEL  No.  1097  is  located  at  Section  No.  5  of  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off,  near  Johnsonburg,  N.  J. 
It  is  working  with  and  is  just  like  shovel  No.  1096, 
under  the  report  of  which  will  be  found  a  complete 
description  of  both.  See  page  286. 

OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL 

Weight 70  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper .2^  cubic  yards 

Kind  of  teeth  on  dipper     .  Manganese  steel 

Maximum  height  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 15' 

Length  of  dipper  handle .      ,     18'  6" 

Length  of  boom 28' 

Maximum  distance  dipper  can  reach  to  dump     ...  .28' 

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 4.00  cubic  yards 

Capacity  of  cars,  loose 3.6  yards 

Number  of  cars  in  train 9  and  10 

Height  of  cars  above  their  own  tracks 5'  8" 

Length  of  haul 7500' 

Length  of  runaround,  ist  day,  3.37  miles  ;  2d  day,  3.35  miles 

Weight  of  dinkeys 18  tons 

Style  of  car,  side  dump  on  one  side  only. 

Height  of  top  of  cars  above  shovel  track,  14'  ist  day;   15'  2d 

day. 

Gauge  of  dinkey  tracks Narrow 

Number  of  trains 7 

Average  time  for  round  trip 45  minutes 

Maximum  grades  for  loads     .• 4.0  per  cent. 

Maximum  grades  for  empties 5.8  per  cent. 

Complete  trains  for  grades  ?     Yes. 

Time  traveling  to  dump 18.8  minutes 

Time  traveling  from  dump  to  shovel 17.7  minutes 

Time  to  dump  cars  .  4.9  minutes 

Distance  from  inside  shovel  track  to  inside  dinkey  track,   16.5' 

ist  day. 
Distance  inside  shovel  track  to  inside  dinkey  track,  22.8'  2d  day 

301 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL,  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY 

Number  of  cars  loaded 296 

Average  time  to  load  one  car °-935  minute 

Cubic  yards,  place  measure     ...  ....       1065  yards 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day      ...  .      79^ ' 

Average  time  for  one  move 6.5  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  one  foot i  minute 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  at  one  time  .  .  .  .  7'  3" 
Average  distance  moved  forward  each  time  .  ...  6^ ' 

Average  time   beginning  of  one  move  and  beginning  of  next, 
41.6  minutes. 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 24.7 

Time  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper  .  .  .  .010  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .006  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains  .  .  .114  minutes 
Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  518 

Area  of  section    .  210  square  feet 

Average  height  of  face 4^' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank o 

Coal  used 2.3  tons 

Pounds  of  coal  per  cubic  yard  excavated 4.3 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


TIME  STUDY— FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

6:24  12:25 

II:54  3:33 


Total  time  worked    330  +  188  minutes  =  518  minutes  =  8  hours 
38  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working    
Spotting  cars  
Waiting  for  cars       ..... 
Moving  shovel     
Miscellaneous  delays    .... 
Clearing  away       
Breaking  bank      

276 
I 
114 
79 
(46 

43 
i 

48 
42 
OO 

oo 

30) 
30 

oo 

53-4 
o-3 

22.O 

:5-3 
(9-o) 
8.4 

o  "• 

Placing  car  on  track       .     .     . 

2 

oo 

0.4 

Total  time  under  observation    . 

518 

00 

1  00.0 

302 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner  

$^.oo 

Craneman  
Fireman  
8  pitmen  

w^.vv 
3.60 
2.40 
I2.OO 

$23.00 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation     ....       1065 
Based  on  the  above  performance  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day 
600 

of  10  hours  =  1065  X =  1235 

5l8 
Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day      _  $23.00  _  1.86  cents  per  cubic 

Number  of  cubic  yards  per  day  ~~      1235" 


Time 

Cost  per 

Total 

"P      r    CQ    Analv<ii«i 

Per  Cent 

Yard  in 

Min. 

Sec 

Cents 

Cost 

Charges  to  waiting  for 

blasters 

I 

oo 

O  "• 

O  OO4. 

O  OO4. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

276 

48 

53-4 

0-993    ) 

2.  Delays 

1.278 

a  Moving  up  .     . 

79 

oo 

15-3 

0.285    ) 

Charge  to  transporting 

and  dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars  . 
2.  Miscellaneous 

"5 

45 

42 

3° 

22.3 

80 
.0 

0.415     I 
0.163     ( 

0.578 

5i8 

oo 

IOO.O 

1.  860 

OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 2.6 

Number  of  cars  loaded 270 

Cubic  yards  excavated 972 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 19 

Average  distance  moved  forward  each  time 6'  2" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day        .     .      .      .       117'  3" 
Time  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper    .     .     .     .00791  minute 


303 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY— Continued 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car      .0315  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains    .      .      .171  minutes 

Time  moving  forward 198^  minutes 

Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays    .   646^ 

Coal  used 3.18  tons 

Area  of  section o  to  276  square  feet 

Height  of  face o  to  9' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank o 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once      ....    10.447  minutes 
Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot      .     .     .     1.693  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 0-854  minute 

Pounds  coal  used  for  cubic  yard  excavated 6.55 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 14.2 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move       .     .     .  6'  10" 

Average  time  for  one  swing 0.39  minute 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  next, 
34.8  minutes. 


TIME  STUDY— SECOND  DAY 


Started  wTork  ' 
Stopped  work 


Forenoon 

6:25 
Ii:58 


Afternoon 
12:26 

5  =  55 


Total  time  worked  333  +  329  minutes  3=662  minutes  =  n  hours 
2  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent. 

Actual  working 

27O 

3O 

34  8 

Spotting  cars     
Waiting  for  cars 

8 
171 

30 

i  .3 

Moving  shovel                   .... 

198 

3O 

30.0 

Idle      

(32) 

(4.8) 

Car  off  track 

c 

o  7 

Removing  rails  in  front  of  shovel 
Repairing  steam  pipe    .... 
Miscellaneous  delays   ..... 
Clearing  way       
Car  off  and  shifting  dinkey  track 

H 
13 

(21 
15 

6 

30) 
30 

2.  I 
2.O 
(3-3) 
2-3 
I  .0 

Total  time  under  observation    .     . 

662 

IOO.O 

304 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cubic  yards  loaded  on  second  day  of  observation    .     .     .       972 
Based  upon  the  above  performance  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per 

day  of  10  hours  =  972  X    g>—   =  88 1. 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day      $23.00 

— — -^-  =  —      —  =  2. 6 1  cents  per  cubic  yard 
Number  cubic  yards  per  day          88 1 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

in  Cents 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

230 

3° 

34.8 

0.908^ 

2.  Delays 

1 

a  Moving  up     ... 

198 

30 

30.0 

0.783  > 

1.798 

b  Repairs      .... 

13 

oo 

2.O 

0.052 

c  Miscellaneous     .     . 

14 

oo 

2.1 

0.055J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 
i.  Waiting  for  cars    . 
2.  Miscellaneous  .     ..    \  ' 

179 
26 

30 
30 

27.1 

4.0 

0.708  ( 
0.104  ) 

0.812 

662 

oo 

IOO.O 

.     .     . 

2.610 

Mini- 

Aver- 

Maxi- 

No. of 

mum 

age 

mum 

Obs. 

Digging      1      T. 
Swinging  loaded  .     .     .    1 

itt 

7-6 
8.4 

i*X 

12% 

2O 
18 

Swinging  empty  .     .     .    {  Se(!onds 
Falling  J    " 

4^ 

^ 

5-7 
5-3 

7 
6 

15 

12 

Time  to  fill  one  dipperful      .     .     . 

JS# 

27.0 

38 

Number  of  attempts  to  fill  dippe 
Dipper  efficiency      

Time  for  a  co 

r 

.      .        26 
9  per  cent 

76 
mplete  swing 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Observa- 
tions 

Seconds       .... 

J9 

23.2 

26^ 

H 

305 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Number  of  swings  per  minute 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Observations 

2.26 

2-59 

3-16 

14 

Cost  of  Moving  ]>ack 


Runner  for  1.59  days     .     .     .     . 

.     @ 

IS.oo 

$7-95 

Craneman  for  1.59  days     .     .     . 
Fireman  for  1.59  days   .     .     .     . 

:§ 

3.60 

2.40 

5-72 
3.82 

14  laborers  for  17^  hours      .     . 

.    @ 

0-15 

36.75 

2  drivers  for  ij  %  hours      .     .     . 

.    @ 

°-is 

5  -25 

2  horses  for  1.59  days 

fa) 

I     ^O 

477 

4  pipe  fitters  for  1.59  days      .     . 

•     1 

i  .  *)^ 

2.00 

•  /  / 

12.72 

Coal,  2  tons      

3-5° 

7.00 

Oil  and  waste  

i  .00 

Shifting  track 

10  laborers  for  17^  hours 
i  foreman  for  1.59  days       .     . 

.     @ 
.     @ 

0.15 

2.00 

26.25 
.3-18 

Tearing  down  trestle 

6  laborers  for  5^  hours      .     . 

•     @ 

O.IS 

4.95 

2  horses  for  ^  day    .... 

•     @ 

1-50 

l-5° 

Coal,  2  tons  

@ 

3-5° 

7  .00 

Oil  and  waste    

i  .00 

Total  cost  to  move  back    .     .     . 

•    •    • 

$128.86 

Standard  Basis 


Total  distance  moved     . 
Total  time  actually  moving 
Total  time  idle      .     .     .     . 
Number  of  men  employed 
Cost  per  foot  moved 
Cost  per  foot  per  man    . 


820' 
i  day 

!-59 
60* 

15.71  cents 
.262  cent 


*  Includes  pulling  down  trestle,  shifting  track,  and  one  horse 
equal  to  four  men. 


306 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


It   is   our   understanding   that    the    following    represents    the 
number  of  cars  loaded  daily,  for  the  months  shown,  1909: 


February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

I 

152 

192 

192 

240 

344 

122 

2 

272 

176 

184 

Sunday 

224 

I90 

3 

136 

1  68 

208 

264 

3°4 

198 

4 

192 

40 

Sunday 

224 

Sunday 

5 

224 

160 

200 

216 

240 

99 

6 

160 

160 

1  68 

248 

Sunday 

144 

7 

Sunday 

Sunday 

152 

240 

232 

144 

8 

200 

168 

160 

248 

296 

189 

9 

136 

160 

200 

Sunday 

224 

198 

10 

ii 

28 
200 

248 
280 

2OO 

Sunday 

288 
3°4 

208 

176 

225 
Sunday 

12 

216 

256 

192 

288 

248 

I3 

184 

216 

200 

200 

Sunday 

. 

14 

Sunday 

Sunday 

200 

212 

2C8 

15 

224  " 

144 

336 

272 

109 

16 

88 

88 

192 

Sunday 

328 

189 

17 

184 

248 

240 

320 

136 

189 

18 

168 

216 

Sunday 

272 

184 

Sunday 

!9 

144 

216 

184 

232 

168 

224 

20 

21 

184 
Sunday 

200 
Sunday 

72 
216 

272 
176 

Sunday 
184 

iS3 

122 

22 

248 

240 

232 

248 

168 

248 

23 

152 

264 

240 

Sunday 

176 

270 

24 

176 

256 

232 

I76 

184 

262 

25 

200 

248 

Sunday 

160 

!92 

Sunday 

26 

272 

248' 

316 

200 

27 
28 

248 
Sunday 

240 
Sunday 

288 
288 

73 
216 

Sunday 

152 

29 

264 

200 

320 

170 

.  . 

30 

216 

208 

Sunday 

1  80 

31 

!84 

376 

•  • 

•  • 

Totals 

4388 

5248 

5096 

6241 

5622 

Average 

183 

202 

204 

250 

216 

307 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


<fl 

:  1 

3 

a 

^s 

o     ••£ 

2 

Causes  of  D 

1      s  1  1 

HiJi 
Ml  i|i 

H    x    ?     H    H 

1    1    >^ 

0^jSr°    £ 

^ 

M 

OO 

£    a2H 

If 

^    <N       ir>        *          *         * 

•s   ;!!::   ;  :  ; 

CO 
10 

U  c 

<N        "*         To         03 

^    ::-»«.:. 

"s 

11  ^ 

2   &D 

ir>      oo      ^D         oo        ro 

31J-SISI-I.S 

t"-^ 

*!'! 

| 

1 

ll 

10      ts.    oo        00 

(N         l>-      VO            W         lO 

:   53  §  g  &  g§  S 

Q 

01 

£ 

H 

.  .  *  *  ? 

\ci       \H.     \*t                         \H- 

nJX          nX,       prK                                     COX 

co 

JS 

•a 

•^    S           §  jg 

2         I    |     2 

o 
H 

J|l  if 

•g    a     g*   *3    2      c'f'5' 
<    '%    Q    -g     S     -|    <     o 

™        -g  !>              ^ 

1 

OT 

a                      '^ 

a 

|        (U         C                      g 

a             o             §       aJ      o 

g 

III 

-^"oGEt;      •"-•     e    "u 
>    ^    -2     §     !!      S    .2    «S 

%    $     S            ^ 

*            I 

35         w         1    ^   M 

|| 

co     co     co       ro      co 

co      co     co      c,     co       co     „      co 

308 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


-  2 

= 


q-    ^    o    q    q 


^  it  ^ 


ft       a  - 

1  §1?  gf5l 

*  i  J  i  .^  •  1 


- 


309 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


g 

1_ 
3 
,0 

^z 

If 

D  etf 

ffi 


&.O. 
'O'O 

'o'o 

O   C 

55 


Q 

ojJU'aJ  £ 
.§  >  O  g 


f^  O  C^  O 

N  ^-  tnm  t- 


\O    O    txiorotH    *- 

"M  COM  oc>oo 


ONO          OOt>. 


.o\O»-it^Mi^ 


|| 

S| 


310 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Fig.  71.     View  of  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Cut  at  Johnsonburg,  N.  J. 


Fig.  72.     Bucyrus  Shovel  No.  1097 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  35  -  -  SHOVEL  No.  795 

INSPECTED  AUGUST   10,   1909 
NEAR  COLUMBIA,  N.  J. 

LOCATION     Shovels  No.  795  and  No.  875  (page  357) 
were   working    on   section   No.    7    of  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off,  near  Columbia,  N.  J. 

MATERIAL  The  material  is  a  hard  crystalline  lime- 
stone, and  on  the  day  of  inspection  the 
shovel  worked  in  this  until  3:45  p.  m.,  thereafter  in  earth. 
The  limestone  was  well  broken  but  mixed  with  some 
very  large  pieces.  There  are  291,166  cubic  yards  of 
earth  and  rock  in  this  cut,  according  to  the  engineer's 
preliminary  figures  of  which  two-thirds  or  three-quarters 
are  rock.  The  shovel  had  been  working  about  six  or 
eight  weeks  in  this  location. 

It  was  noticed  that  the  thrusting  engine  did  not  hold 
the  dipper  against  the  face  of  the  rock  properly,  which 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  boom  engine  of  a  65-ton 
shovel  with  7  x  7 -inch  cylinders  was  not  adequate  for 
rock  excavation  of  this  character.  The  7o-ton  shovel, 
however,  such  as  No.  875  with  8  x  8-inch  cylinders  on 
the  boom  engines,  gave  perfectly  satisfactory  results. 
The  boom  and  dipper  handle  are  made  entirely  of  steel, 
the  former  being  of  the  truss  type. 

TRANSPORTATION    The  cars  were  built  by  the  Western 
Wheel  Scraper  Company.     Some 

of  them  dump  on  both  sides  and  some  on  one  side 
only.  They  measure  no  x  83  x  19  inches  and  are  5 
feet  6  inches  above  their  tracks.  When  loaded  with 
stone  they  average  about  2^  yards.  Three  1 8-ton 
Vulcan  dinkeys  are  used  at  each  shovel,  with  an  extra, 

312 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

one  which  during  inspection  held  trains  back  in  descend- 
ing a  steep  grade  ending  in  a  sharp  curve.  In  order  to 
dump  from  the  trestle  it  was  necessary  for  the  dinkey 
to  run  around  the  train,  as  they  always  pulled,  instead  of 
pushing,  the  cars  when  running  loaded.  This  took  from 
two  to  three  minutes.  Then,  after  dumping,  it  was 
necessary  for  the  dinkey  to  switch  back  again,  but  as 
this  was  a  flying  switch  very  little  time  was  lost.  Under 
the  observed  conditions  it  was  necessary  for  the  dinkey 
to  uncouple  while  the  car  next  to  it  was  loaded.  The 
reason  for  such  an  arrangement  appears  to  be  in  the 
fact  that  the  cars  ride  better  when  being  hauled  than 
when  pushed,  and  in  this  connection  it  should  be 
remarked  that  the  number  of  derailed  cars  was  very 
small.  The  dinkeys  maintained  a  steady  pace  that  was 
not  as  fast  as  on  some  other  jobs,  but  which  made  better 
time  in  the  end  because  the  chances  for  a  car  to  jump 
were  diminished. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Height  of  lift  .     .     .     .     .'    .     ...  •'.   ;,J_ '..    .....      7 

Kind  of  teeth  .     .     ..    .    ..     .*   .     ,     .     .     .     .     Manganese  steel 

Height  blocked  up   .     .     .-.',....     .     . i' 

Length  of  boom  .     .     . '•  .     .     .     *     .    .. 23' 

Height  of  face      . 15' 

Length  of  dipper  handle .".•'.'•    .     .     18'  6" 

Inside  shovel  track  to  inside  dinkey  track       ...     .     .     .20' 

Reach  of  boom 14.8' 

Height  of  point  of  boom  above  pivot  of  boom     ....      18.3' 
Dinkey  tracks  16"  higher  than  shovel  tracks. 

Diameter  of  bull  wheel 7^' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 16' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 28' 

Dipper,  48"  deep  ;  bottom  to  lip,  60"  ;  bottom  to  point  of  teeth,  76" 

313 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS—  Continued 

Weather,  clear. 

Number  of  cars  in  one  train 10 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 5^' 

Length  of  haul  (approximate) 9000' 

Length  of  runaround  (approximate) 19,200' 

Weight  of  dinkeys 18  tons 

Gauge  of  dinkey  track Narrow 

Number  of  trains 3 

Grades One  of  about  4  per  cent  for  300' 

Full  trains  on  grades,  with  extra  dinkey  to  help. 

Number  of  cars  loaded 206;    133  rock,  73  earth 

Cubic  yards  excavated:   133  of  rock  at  2  yards  =  266,  and  73  of 

earth  at  3.2  yards  =  233  ;  total,  499  cubic  yards. 
Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day,  44.7';   27.7'  of  rock, 
17'  of  earth. 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 855  rock,  3  earth 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward   in  one  move,  5'  n";   5'  u" 

rock,  5'  10"  earth. 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next,  75.7  minutes. 
Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move,  25.7  ;  73.7  rock,  49  earth  ; 

26.6  rock,  24.3  earth. 
Average  time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car,  .004 

minute. 

Minutes  per  working  day,  less  time  for  accidental  delays    .     .   589 
Area  of  section     .    325  square  feet  =  when  material  was  blasted 

Height  of  face 14.5';   14  rock,  15  earth 

Coal  used 2.83  tons 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  ^     ,    (     7:00  ,    (  1:0^         T?     . i_ 

Stopped  work  Rock  ]  12:01  R°ck  ]  3:28         Earth 


6:04 


Total  time  worked  : 


Min.        Min.        Min.        Mrs.  Min. 
Rock  —  301   +   14  S  =  446  =7         26      )  , 

Earth  -  "156  =   2       36     \    IO  hours  2  mmutes- 

314 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Total 

Rock 

Per 

Earth 

Per 

Min. 

Min. 

Cent 

Min. 

Cent 

Actual  working    .... 

324 

247-5 

55-5 

76.5 

49-1 

Spotting  cars  .      . 

1  .0 

0.5 

O.  I 

°-5 

o-3 

Waiting  for  cars  .... 

49-5 

34-5 

7-7 

15 

9-6 

Moving  shovel     .... 

88.5 

49-5 

I  I  .  I 

39 

25.0 

Idle 

(90 

(76) 

(I7.I) 

(i5) 

(9-6) 

Blasting  

84 

72 

16.2 

12 

7-7 

Tightening  bolts   . 

3 

3 

1.9 

Repairing  dipper  •     . 

4 

4 

0.9 

Miscellaneous  delays     . 

(48) 

(38) 

(8-5) 

(10) 

(6-4) 

Clearing  track 

28.5 

18 

4-1 

10 

6.4 

Moving  boulder     . 

6-5 

6-5 

'•5 

Putting  car  on  track 

6 

6 

J-3 

Tearing  down  bank    . 

7 

7 

1.6. 

Tot.  time  under  observation 

602 

446 

IOO.O 

156 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 


Standard  Basis 


Runner     
Crane  man 

$5-00 

T.    60 

Fireman 

j.uu 

2    A.Q 

6  pitmen 

9OO 

Coalman                   ...                                 . 

I     ?O 

$21.50 


Number  of  cubic  yards  of  rock  loaded  during  observation,  266. 
Based  upon  the  above  performance  the  number  of  cubic  yards 
loaded  per  day  of  ten  hours,  602  x  266  =  358. 

446 
Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  per  cubic  yard—       ]~  =  6.00  cents 


per  cubic  yard. 


358 


315 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Process  Analysis  —  Rock 

Time 

Pei- 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 

Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge     to     loosening    or 

breaking       

85 

3° 

'9-3 

I  .  I  58 

I.I58 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  . 

247 

30 

55-5 

3-330! 

2.   Delays 

a  Moving  up 

49 

30 

1  1  .  i 

0.666  f 

4.050 

b  Repairs      .... 

4 

00 

0.9 

Q.054J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars    . 

35 

00 

7-8 

0.468  i 

2.  Miscellaneous  . 

24 

30 

5-4 

o.324  J 

0.792 

446 

oo 

IOO.O 

6.000 

Number  of  cubic  yards  of  earth  loaded  during  observation,  233. 
Based  upon  above  performance  the  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day 
=  600  x  233  =896. 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  _  $21.50  _   3.40   cents   per 

Number  of   cubic   yards  per  day  ~       896  cubic  yard. 


Process  Analysis—  Earth 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 
Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge     to     loosening    or 

breaking  

12 

7-7 

0.185 

0.185 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  .     .     . 

76 

30 

49.1 

I.I781 

2.  Delays 

i^ 

T    8-7  A 

a  Moving  up 

39 

OO 

25.0 

0.600  ( 

b  Repairs  

3 

00 

1.9 

0.046J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars     .     . 
2.  Miscellaneous    .     .     . 

15 

10 

3° 
oo 

9-9 
6.4 

0.238) 
°-I53  ) 

0.391 

156 

00 

IOO.O 

.    .    . 

2.400 

316 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Analysis  of  Complete  Dipper 
Swing 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obs. 

No.  of 
Attempts 

Digging     .     .     .  " 
Swinging  loaded 
Swinging  empty 
Falling      .     .     . 
Time  to  fill  and 
load  one  dip- 
perful    ... 

Time 
•       in 
seconds 

5 
4 
3 
4 

II.  6 

7-4 
5-3 
7-8 

18 

17 
9 
15 

23 

23 
23 
23 

41 

16 

32.1 

59 

23 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Seconds       .... 

17 

24 

42 

23 

Fig.  73.     Dump  near  Columbia,  N.  J. 
317 


HANDBOOKOF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


1 


^-  t>  O    10          O    ON  H 


\O         t>-  -^-vo    N   O   t**  0 


%£ 
b 

si 


0  10  10  to   •  o  m  o    • 

ID  t>*  O-  O.        \O    >-<    tO 

M   ro  i>  o    "  C--VO   M 


H  \O 

•*      m 


'ON 


318 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


O       T3 

.S      I 


<u  ^        C 
Is  °       2 
^ 


.- 
-93  S3 

Q 


«&8 


^  c^oo 

>VO    t^ 


I^OM(N 
t-.  i>^0  0 


IN  H  m  i 
in  t^  o  i 


ll 


O    0    IO10XOIOU110 

"^  ^  £r  ?  ^  t0^  m 


S,  X 


Tj       O     M  MO 


|it 

- 


319 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


0 


S  2 


H^ 


Qffi 


•  \o  o  *o    •  vo  o> 

O     N     H        .  ^O     tx   ' 


-HHH'roro 


|"o 

2s 


i- 

2^ 


s«| 

t^^'^ 


O^O  T3Ort        HM  oOO 


Slf  2-g-S( 


o  T)-O  q  o  t>  o  q  m 


oooooooo 


320 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


&        -S 

5   * 

i     3 


321 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Fig.  75.     Views  of  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Cut-off  near  Columbia,  N.  J. 
322 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

REPORT  No.  38  -  -  SHOVEL  No.  1 137 

INSPECTED  JULY  1-3  AND  21,  22,  -1909 

D.,  L.  &  W.  CUT-OFF 

HOPATCONG,  N.  J. 

This  shovel  was  working  in  section  No.  i  of  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off,  together  with  shovel  No.  1108,  in 
the  report  on  which  will  be  found  a  complete  descrip- 
tion of  both.  See  page  255. 

OBSERVATIONS 

Weather,  clear. 

Weight yo-ton 

Gauge Narrow 

Capacity  of  dipper 2^  cubic  yards 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel 

Maximum  height  dipper  can  reach  to  dump       .      .     .     i6}4  feet 

Length  of  dipper  handle        18'  6" 

Length  of  boom 28-3' 

Height  of  boom  above  tracks 25.6' 

Height  of  boom  above  pivot 20.1' 

Maximum  distance  dipper  can  reach  to  dump    ....      26.5' 

Swings  per  minute  ....     :. 2.5 

Number  of  cars  loaded 190 

Cubic  yards  excavated 646 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 6 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 5'  10" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 35' 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper,  .016  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .0357  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains  .  .  133,^2  minutes 

Time  moving  forward 83  minutes 

Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .         579 

Coal  used 1.73  tons 

Area  of  section 497  square  feet 

323 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Height  of  face 14^  feet 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 3 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once      ....      13-83  minutes 
Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot     .     .     .      2.571  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 1.446  minutes 

Pounds  of  coal  per  cubic  yard  excavated        5.35 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 31.7 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move      .     .     .     6'  5" 

Average  time  for  one  swing 24.3  seconds 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next IOI-3 


TRANSPORTATION 

Capacity  of  cars,  water  measure 4.17  cubic  yards 

Capacity  of  cars,  place  measure,  3.3  cubic  yards  first  day ;  3.4  cubic 
yards  second  day. 

Number  of  cars  in  train 7 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 6' 

Length  of  runaround 7200' 

Weight  of  dinkeys 1 8-ton 

Style  of  car Side  dump  on  one  side  only 

Height  of  top  of  cars  above  shovel  track !3/^' 

Gauge  of  dinkey  track Narrow 

Number  of  trains 2 

Time  for  round  trip   ....    Average,  29.8  ;  maximum,  69^  ; 

minimum,  16  minutes;  22  observations 

Maximum  grade        ....    About  3  per  cent  against  empties 
Full  trains  in  grades. 

Rate   of  transportation  (feet  per  minute) :  Average,  242 ;  maxi- 
mum. 450;  minimum,  104;  observations  22. 
Distance  from  inside  shovel  track  to  inside  track  21.6' 


TIME  STUDY— FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:01  12:30 

Stopped  work  12:00  5:24 

Total  time  worked         299  minutes   +  294  minutes  =  9  hours 
53  minutes. 

324 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds^ 

Pef  Cent' 

Actual  working     
Spotting  cars    
Waiting  for  cars    
Moving  shovel 

274 
6 

'33 

83 

45 
45 
3° 
oo 

46.3- 
I  .2 
22.5 
14  o 

Idle 
Repairing  steampipe,  dipper 
and  chain 

2Z 

7O 

4.  7 

Blasting                    .... 

1.1 

7O 

c   -i 

Boulder  in  bucket 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Moving  boulders     .... 
Clearing  way      

7 
9 

21 

3° 

00 

3° 

L3 

1  .5 
3-6 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

593 

oo 

100.  0 

Standard  Basis 


Distribution  Per  Day 

Break- 
ing 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dentals 

Total 

Runner  .... 
Craneman    . 

$5.00 

Fireman       .     . 

2.40 

6  pitmen      .     .     . 

9.OO 

i  coalman   .     .     . 
2    locomotive    en- 
gineers    .    •. 

•   •   • 

5.  2O 

2  brakemen 

7   OO 

l/2  section  foreman 

2.OO 

1  5  laborers  . 

22   so 

5  drillers      .     .     . 

12.  SO 

5  drillers'  helpers 

8  75 

4  dumpers        ;     . 

6   OO 

i  powderman  . 

2    OO 

i  powder  man's 
helper            .     . 

I     SO 

i  boiler  fireman 

2    OO 

i  blacksmith 

3  °° 

325 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Direct  Labor 
Distribution  Per  Day 
(Continued) 

Standard  Basis 

Break- 
ing 

Load- 
ing 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dentals 

Total 

i  blacksmith's 
helper  . 
i   boiler  fireman 
I  well  driller 
Half    watchman 
i       assistant 
watchman 

I     SO 

I.50 
2.50 

O.7S 

1.50 

I     SO 

i  pumptender    . 
7  trackmen    . 
2  Waterboys 
Superintendent. 

10  so 

'/ 

2    OO 

6  oo 

Total  cost  of  direct 
labor  per  day     . 
Cost   per   day  per 
cubic  yards  (cts) 
Per  cent       .     .     . 

$53.25 
8.24 

45-2 

$21.50 

3-33 
18.3 

$18.70 

2.89 
T5-9 

$6.OO 
0-93 

5-1 

$18.25 

2.83 
J5-5 

$117.70 

lS.22 
IOO.OO 

Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per  - 
Yard  in 
Cents 

Total 

Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  waiting  for 

blasters     

40 

3° 

6.8 

0.227 

0.227 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  .     .     . 

274 

4S 

46.3 

I-54O 

2.  Delays 

a   Moving  up     ... 

83 

14.0 

0.466 

2.193 

b  Repairs       .... 

25 

30 

4-3 

0.143 

c  Miscellaneous      .     . 

7 

3° 

i-3 

O.Q43J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars     .     . 
2.  Miscellaneous    .     .     . 

140 

21 

15 
3° 

1 

0.790  ) 
o.  i  20  ( 

0.910 

593 

IOO.O 

3-33° 

326 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


CALCULATED  AND  OBSERVED  DATA— SECOND  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 2.43 

Number  of  cars  loaded   • 157 

Cubic  yards  excavated 551 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 6 

Average  distance  moved  forward  each  time 5  '8" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 34'  o" 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper  .     .     .     .017 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  trains       .     .    30^  minutes 

Time  moving  forward 7 1  ^  minutes 

Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays     .      453 

Area  of  section 412  square  feet 

Height  efface n' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 3 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once 11.96  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot  .     .     .     .     2.11  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car I-§93  minutes 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 26.2 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move    .     .     .     .    6'  o" 

Average  time  for  one  swing     ....          ...    24.7  seconds 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to  beginning 
of  next 98.7  seconds 


TIME  STUDY— SECOND  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  7:00  12:30 

Stopped  work  12:00  5:30 

Min.          Min. 
Total  time  worked     300   +   300  =    10  hours. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working  . 

•2O7 

I  c 

cj    2 

Waiting  for  cars       
Moving  shovel    .     .     .     .     .     . 
Idle 
Repairs 

3° 
71 

i 

30 

45 
oo 

5-1 

12  .O 
O    ^ 

Blasting       
Replacing  dipper      .     .     .  .. 
Miscellaneous  delays 
Chaining  boulder      .... 
Moving  boulders      .<•  .     . 

29 
H7 

8 

5 

00 

oo 
oo 

30 

4.8 
24.5 

1-3 

0.9 

Total  time  under  observation   . 

600 

oo 

IOO.O 

327 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


COST  OF  DIRECT  LABOR  (LOADING)   PER  DAY 
STANDARD  BASIS 

The  direct  labor  distribution  during  the  second  day's  observa- 
tion was  the  same  as  upon  the  first,  with  the  exception  that  the 
seven  trackmen  were  not  employed,  and  that  one  extra  well  driller 
and  two  assistant  watchmen  were  engaged,  affecting  the  results 
as  follows : 


Break- 
ing 

Loading 

Trans- 
porting 

Dump- 
ing 

Inci- 
dentals 

Total 

Total  cost  of  direct 

labor  per  day 

$55-75 

$21.50 

$8.20 

56.00 

$19-75 

$1  1  1.  2O 

Cost  per  day,  per 

cubic  yard,  cents 

I  O.I  2 

3-9° 

1.49 

1.09 

3-58 

20.T8 

Per  cent  .... 

50.2 

19-3 

7-4 

5-4 

17.7 

IOO.O 

Tii 

ne 

Per 

Cost  per 
Yard  in 

Total 

naysis 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents 

Cost 

Charge  to  waiting  for 

blasters     

42 

3° 

7-1 

0.277 

0.277 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  . 
2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up       ... 

307 
71 

15 

4S 

51.2 
I2.O 

1.996] 
0.468  ( 

3-424 

b  Repairs  

MX 

24.6 

o  060  I 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

.     i.  Waiting  for  cars     .     . 

30 

3° 

5-1 

0.199 

0.199 

600 

IOO.O 

3.900 

Analysis  of  Complete  Dipper 
Swing 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

No.  of 
Attempts 
to  Fill 
Dipper 

Digging     .     .     .  )     q,. 
Swinging  loaded  ! 
Swinging  empty  j         n  , 

5 
5 
3 
3 

16.37 
6.06 

7-35 

53 
i5 

20 

34 
34 
32 
31 

57 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one 
dipperful 

16 

-77-71 

328 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Time  for  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  of 
Obs. 

No.  of 
Attempts 

Seconds  .... 

15.5 

24-3 

40 

5° 

5° 

Number  of  swings  per  minute 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.  of 
Obs. 

No.  of 

Attempts 

50 

i-5 

2-5 

3-9 

50 

Per  cent  of  full  dipper  to  number  of  attempts  to  fill  the  dipper: 
—  —  59.6  per  cent. 


57 


Labor  Cost  Replacing  Dipper  Handle  Time  Required 


Per  Day 

2%  Hours 

Runner      
Craneman      

.     @ 
•     @ 

•  $5-0° 
3.60 

$1.25 
0.90 

Fireman    / 

•     @ 

2.40 

.O.6o 

6  pitmen    

•     @ 

i  .  50 

2.25 

Foreman   

(a) 

4.00 

I  .OO 

Rigger  
2  locomotive  engineers    .     . 
2  brakemen    ...... 

'  1 
:  1 

3.00 
2.60 

o.75 
1.30 

o.75 

4  men  on  dump       .... 

1.50 

1-50 

Total  

$IQ  3° 

329 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  76 


«s 

:^ 


Fig.  77.     Views  on  the  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Cut-off,  Hopatcong,  N.  J. 
330 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT  No.  42         SHOVEL  No.  350 

INSPECTED  JULY  2  AND  20,  1909 
NEAR  NETCONG,  N.  J. 

LOCATION  Section  No.  2  (Waltz  &  Reece,  contractors), 
on  the  D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off,  is  located  about 
three  miles  north  of  the  village  of  Netcong,  on  the  main 
line  of  the  D.,  L.  &  W.  Railroad.  The  section  is  about 
two  and  one-half  miles  long  and  is  about  equally  divided 
between  cut  and  fill,  one  of  the  deepest  (no  feet,  maxi- 
mum) side  hill  cuts  on  the  line  being  located  here. 

MATERIAL  This  work  is  entirely  in  porphyry  and  is 
about  2000  feet  long  and  150  feet  wide 
at  the  foot  of  slope  at  present.  About  30  feet  are  still 
to  be  taken  out  before  reaching  grade.  There  are  about 
770,000  cubic  yards  of  excavation  in  this  cut,  and  which 
is  expected  to  make  a  fill  of  1,270,000  cubic  yards, 
implying  an  expansion  of  about  65  per  cent.  The 
material,  when  properly  blasted,  breaks  up  into  small 
chunks  that  make  very  easy  digging,  but  if,  as  on  one 
of  the  days  of  our  observation,  the  holes  are  not  properly 
spaced,  or  heavily  enough  charged,  and  the  rock  in  con- 
sequence not  well  broken,  the  digging  is  hard  and  very 
wearing  on  the  shovel.  Unusually  hard  digging  was 
experienced  during  our  night  observations  on  July  22 
and  the  following  day, 

DRILLING  Since  the  holes  drilled  are  30  feet  deep, 
and,  in  order  to  break  up  the  rock,  must  be 
very  large  in  diameter,  it  has  been  found  more  econom- 
ical, and  more  convenient  in  handling  the  long  drill 
steel,  to  use  well  drills  rather  than  the  largest  steam 
drills.  The  contractors  also  claim  that  the  rock  is  so 
hard  and  fissured  that  it  would  make  poor  drilling  for 

33i 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,    WORK 

steam  machines.  On  the  first  day  of  our  observations 
two  of  these  well  drills  were  in  operation  and  on  the  re- 
maining days  four. 

GENERAL  ARRANGEMENT     The  illustrations  and  the 

sketch  on  page  344  show 

the  track  arrangement.  The  one  leading  to  the  Bucyrus 
shovel  is  visible  at  the  extreme  right.  This  switches 
back  along  the  face  of  the  cut  to  the  Bucyrus  shovel 
and  past  that  to  the  Marion  indicated  by  the  white 
streak  of  steam  in  the  background.  From  this  point  the 
cars  are  switched  past  the  second  Marion,  shown  at  the 
left,  and  upon  the  side  hill  tracks  shown  at  the  extreme 
left.  Figure  80  shows  these  tracks  as  they  extend 
down  the  hill  to  the  fill,  the  left  hand  one  being  for 
loads  and  the  right  hand  one  for  empties. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  SHOVEL    Bucyrus   shovel  No.  350 

weighs  65  tons,  has  stan- 
dard gauge  railway  car  trucks,  and  an  all-steel  boom 
and  dipper  handle.  It  is  about  ten  years  old  and  has 
been  used  by 

Kilpatrick  Brothers  &  Collins,  at  Sherman  Hill,  N.  Y. 
Mike  Elmore,  Western  Maryland  Railway. 
Waltz  &  Reece,  D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off. 

Figure  81  shows  the  shovel  as  it  appeared  at  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off  on  July  23.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
the  dipper  chain  passes  over  two  wheels  side  by  side 
on  the  same  axle  at  the  point  of  the  boom  rather  than 
over  two  wheels,  one  behind  the  other.  The  boom  is 
provided  with  an  auxiliary  engine  for  holding  the  dipper 
to  the  face.  The  jacks  fold  against  the  A  frame. 
Water  is  supplied  to  the  tank  through  a  hose  attached  to 
a  pipe  which  runs  to  a  tank  on  the  hill  and  is  pumped 
into  the  tank  from  a  distant  brook.  Coal  is  brought 

332 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


in  by  teams  and  shoveled  aboard  the  dump  cars,  which 
are  then  hauled  to  the  shovels  and  dumped  as  needed, 
a  laborer  carrying  it  in  small  boxes  from  this  pile  to 
the  shovel.  This  shovel  has  seen  much  usage,  but 
is  now  doing  good  work  and  is  in  some  very  hard 
digging. 

TIME  STUDY    Three  complete  runs  for  this  shovel  have 

been   obtained:  One  on  July   2,  1909; 

one  during  the  night  of  July  20-21,  and  one  on  July 

21. 


Date 

Minutes 
Loading 

Time  Waiting 
for  Cars 
Per  Cent  of 
Total 

Time 
Blasting 
Per  Cent  of 
Total 

Number 
Cars 
Loaded 

July     2 

July  20  (night) 
July  21 

241 
241.4 

228.2 

:7-5 
18.8 
9.9 

O.I  I 
24.9 
26.2 

177 

88 
123 

From  the  above  it  appears  that  the  hardest  digging 
was  on  the  2oth  and  2ist,  and  that  the  darkness  on  the 
2oth  materially  affected  the  output.  This  is  also  shown 
by  the  time  taken  to  fill  the  dipper  before  dumping. 
On  the  2d  the  ratio  of  attempts  to  fill  the  dipper 
to  complete  dipperfuls  was  133  trials  to  45  complete 
dipperfuls,  while  on  the  2Oth  (night)  it  was  232  to 
22,  and  on  the  2ist  210  to  21  complete  dipperfuls. 
The  time  for  a  complete  swing  did  not  vary  much  in  the 
three  cases,  and  the  number  of  swings  per  minute  aver- 
aged about  2^  to  3,  the  machine  being  designed  for 
about  three.  This  time  for  a  complete  swing  is  taken 
from  the  moment  the  dipper  point  touches  bottom  until 
it  comes  back  to  the  same  position,  and  includes  only 
those  cases  where  it  works  freely  and  without  delay. 
This  is  given  in  detail  later.  The  time  to  fill  and  load 
one  dipperful,  as  given  in  these  tables,  includes  all 


333 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVE  I,     WORK 

delays.  The  observations  were  taken  at  random,  and 
every  attempt  to  fill  the  dipper  was  recorded  and  in- 
cluded in  the  time  to  get  a  dipperful  before  loading. 
This  also  gives  another  indication  of  the  nature  of  the 
material,  for  on  July  2  the  average  time  to  load  a  dipper 
was  26.1  seconds,  while  on  the  2oth  (night)  it  was  34.4 
seconds,  and  on  the  2ist  35.4  seconds. 

We  happened  to  come  upon  the  shovel  on  the  2oth 
and  2ist,  when  it  had  struck  a  hard  spot  that  was 
poorly  blasted,  while  on  the  2C\  the  material  was  well 
blasted,  broken  into  small  pieces,  and  was  not  much 
more  difficult  to  dig  than  ordinary  gravel.  The  com- 
parison, as  shown  above,  is  very  marked  and  interesting. 
Light  was  supplied  for  the  night  work  by  large  acetylene 
lamps  with  reflectors. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  time  for  spotting  cars  on 
July  2  was  very  large.  This  was  due  mainly  to  the 
cars  being  so  well  filled  that  the  material  fell  over  the 
sides  and  thus  blocked  the  track  until  it  was  removed. 
On  July  20  and  21  this  amounted  to  only  four  minutes, 
as  against  21  minutes  on  July  2. 

By  "clearing  track"  is  meant  the  operation  of  pulling 
in  the  rock  next  to  the  dinkey  tracks  as  it  accumulates 
near  them  in  the  course  of  the  digging. 

OBSERVATIONS—GENERAL 

Weight 65  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Capacity  of  dipper       . 2^2  cubic  yards 

Kind  of  teeth  on  dipper Manganese  steel 

Height  blocked  up None  (all  three  observations) 

WTeather,  clear  (all  three  observations) 

Maximum  height  dipper  can  reach  to  dump J2-5' 

Length  of  dipper  handle 16'  8" 

Length  of  boom 25' 

Height  of  point  of  boom  above  tracks .      21' 

Maximum  distance  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 26 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 5^' 

Length  of  haul  (approximate) 7000' 

Length  of  runaround 15,745' =  2.98  miles 

334 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL  -Continued 

Weight  of  dinkeys 12  tons,  1 6  tons,  18  tons 

Style  of  car:  Side  dump  on  both  sides;  four  new  ones  with  steel 
protection  plates  for  wheels.     (See  Fig.  83.) 

Height  of  cars  above  shovel  track 6' 

Gauge  of  dinkey  tracks Narrow 

Number  of  trains 5 

Maximum  grades  for  loads  ....  2  per  cent  to  2  ^  per  cent 
Maximum  grades  for  empties  ...  2  per  cent  to  2J^  per  cent 
Complete  trains  for  grades. 

Average  time  to  dump  cars 3  minutes 

Distance  from  inside  dinkey  track  to  inside  shovel  track    .       16' 

OBSERVATIONS— FIRST  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 2-95 

Number  of  cars  loaded    ...  177 

Number  of  cubic  yards  excavated 630 

Number  of  times  moved  forward        10 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 5'  4^" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 54'  o" 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper  ....  020 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  o.  1 19  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day,  less  time  for  accidental  delays  $70% 
Shovel  expense  in  cents,  one  day,  not  including  superintendent 
and  overhead  or  preparatory  charges,  3358 

Areas  of  section *.     .     350  square  feet 

Height  of  face 25' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 2 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once .12  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot      .     .     .      2.22  minutes 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 1.362  minutes 

Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport  and  spread  one  cubic  yard,  38  17 
cents 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 17-7 

Average  time  for  one  swing  .     .     : 20.3 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  to  begin- 
ning of  next,  56.4. 

TIME  STUDY— FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work                         7:00  12:11 

Stopped  work                      11:30  5:I1/^ 

Min.  Min.  Min. 

Total  time  worked    270  +  300^  =  570^  =  9  hours  30  minutes 
30  seconds. 

335 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working 

241 

OO 

42    7 

Spotting  cars     
Waiting  for  cars    ... 
Moving  shovel        
Idle     
Laying  ties  t  o  m  o  v  e  u  p 
number  of  cars    .... 
Placing  dinkey  on  track   . 
Repairing  dipper  chain     . 
Blasting 

21 
IOO 
120 
(65 

20 
15 

23 

6 

OO 
00 
OO 

30) 

3° 
3° 

OO 
7O 

3-7 
T7-5 

21  .0 

(ii.  5) 

3-6 

2.7 
4.0 

I     2 

Miscellaneous  delays 
Breaking  down  bank    . 
Clearing  tracks        .... 

(\i 

4 

00) 

3° 
3° 

(4.0) 
o!8 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

570 

30 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner                                                  

$5  oo 

Craneman                                       

S.6o 

Fireman  
7  pitmen        

2.40 
10.50 

$21.50 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  first  day  of  observation      . 
Cost  of  direct  labor  ner  da  v  ner  cubic  vard        —  :  —  — 

...       630 
-  =  -7.41  cents 

per  cubic  yard. 


Time 

Per 

Cost  in 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

Cents  per 
Cubic  Yard 

Cost 

Charge  to  waiting  for 

blasters  

2S 

OO 

44 

0.150 

0.150 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

241 

00 

42.3 

1.443] 

2.  Delays     

a  Moving  up      ... 

120 

00 

21.  0 

0.716  }• 

2.4l8 

b  Repairs      .... 

23 

OO 

4.0 

0.136  | 

c  Miscellaneous 

2O 

30 

3-6 

O.I23J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars 
2.  Miscellaneous  . 

121 
2O 

OO 
00 

21.2 

3-5 

0.723   I 
O.II9  { 

0.842 

5/0 

30 

IOO.O 

3.410 

336 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Nn    nf 

No.  of 

Analysis  of  complete  Dipper 
Swing 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

Obser- 
vations 

Attempts 
to  Fill 
Dipper 

Digging    ...  1     Time 

4 

IO.O 

29 

45 

60 

Swinging  loaded  ! 

3^2 

5-95 

H 

46 

Swinging  empty   f  seconds 
r  ailing      .      .      .  J 

3 

i 

5.10 
5-07 

8 
10 

44 

;; 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one 

dipperful     

111/2 

26.12 

61 

•• 

•  • 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No.ofObs. 

Seconds     .... 

II 

20.3 

39-5 

71 

Swings  per  minute 


Maximum 

Average 

Minimum 

No.ofObs. 

5-45 

2.95 

!-52 

71 

OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY 

Swings  per  minute 2.67 

Number  of  cars  loaded 88 

Cubic  yards  excavated 264 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 3 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 3'  8" 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 1 1 '  o" 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper  .  .  .0253 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .05  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  593 
Shovel  expenses  in  cents,  one  day,  not  including  superintendent 
and  overhead  or  preparatory  charges  .  .  .  .  .  .  35°8 

Coal  used 2.2  tons 

Area  of  section .       325  square  feet 

Height  of  face .     .'.'..     .     .     .       27' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank  .  .  .  .  ,  »  .  .  .  n 
Average  time  to  move  forward  once  .  _  .  .  .  19.75  minutes 
Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot  .  .  .  5.386  minutes 


337 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— SECOND    DAY— Continued 

Average  time  to  load  one  car 2-743  minutes 

Pounds  coal  per  cubic  yard  excavated 16.6 

Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport  and  spread  one  cubic  yard,  33.5 

cents. 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move 29.3 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move       .     .     .     5'  6" 

Average  time  for  one  swing 22.9  seconds 

Average    time    between    beginning    of    one     shovel    move    and 

beginning  of  next i86>^  seconds 


TIME  STUDY— SECOND  DAY 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 


Worked  at  night 

Afternoon 

6:25 


Forenoon 
11:57    P.  M. 
11:27%  5:00    A.  M. 

Min.  Min.        Min. 

Total  time  worked  302^  -+-  303  —  605%  =  10  hours  5  minutes 
30  seconds 


Minutes 

vSeconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

24I 

3° 

39-9 

Spotting  cars     

4 

00 

0.7 

Waiting  for  cars     

114 

oo 

18.8 

Moving  shovel        

59 

3° 

9.8 

Idle     

(160 

oo) 

(26.4) 

Putting  chain  on  block     . 

3 

00 

0.5 

Blasting    

r5° 

3° 

24.8 

Removing  boulder  from  teeth 

6 

3° 

I  .  I 

Miscellaneous  delays 

(26 

30) 

(4.4) 

Putting  car  on  track     . 

3 

oo 

°-5 

Breaking  bank    

12 

00 

2.0 

Clearing  track    

II 

30 

1.9 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

605 

3° 

IOO.O 

21.50 
264 


Cost  of  direct  labor  (loading)  per  day,  standard  basis 
Cubic  yards  loaded  during  observation  (night)      .      . 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day,  per  cubic  yard—- — -^—  =  8.14  cents 
per  cubic  yard. 

338 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Tii 

ne 

Per 

Cost  per  - 

Total 

V    *H 

r  rocess  Analysis  —  oecond  ua.y 

Cent 

y  ara 

Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

in  Cents 

Charge     to     waiting      for 

blasters        .                . 

162 

T.O 

26.8 

2.l8o 

2.l8o 

Charge  to  loading 

j 

i.   Actual  loading 

241 

3° 

39-9 

3.2481 

2.    Delays 

a  Moving  up     .      . 

59 

9.8 

0.798  Y 

4T  n  *7 

b  Repairs     .      .     .     . 

3 

°-5 

0.041    j 

.  I// 

c  Miscellaneous     . 

6 

30 

i  .  i 

o  .  090  J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 
i.   Waiting  for  cars  . 
2.   Repairs  to  cars      .     . 

118 
ii 

3° 
3° 

19-5 
1.9 

1.5871 

°-iss  r 

1.783 

3.   Miscellaneous  .    . 

3 

°-5 

0.041  J 

605 

30 

100.  0 

8.140 

Analysis  of  Complete  Dipper 
Swing 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 

No. of 
Attempts 
to  Fill 

vations 

Dipper 

Digging      .     .    ]         . 
S  winging  loaded  1      i^e 

5 
3 

15.20 
6.  02 

40 
II 

Z] 

51 

Swinging  empty  [               , 

3 

5-91 

II 

i7f(l) 

Falling  .      .     .    J   S 

7.3° 

2X 

20  J 

Time  to  fill  and  load  one 

dipperful 

\~\y 

T.A.    A.T. 

64  l/2 

Time  for  a  complete  swing 


No.  of 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Observa- 

tions 

Seconds       .... 

13 

22.9 

39 

22 

339 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Swings  per  minute 


Maximum  Average 


4.6 

2-7 

1-54 

22 

(i)  Gives  the  average  time  for  a  complete  swing  with  no 
allowance  for  hard  digging. 


OBSERVATIONS— THIRD    DAY 


2.67 
369 


Swings  per  minute 

Number  of  cars  loaded        

Cubic  yards  excavated 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 

Average  distance  moved  each  time 3'  11 " 

Total  distance  moved  during  day 7'  10" 

Time  in  minutes  to  load  one  cubic  foot  with  dipper,  .028  minute 
Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .027  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  556 
Shovel  expenses  in  cents,  one  day,  not  including  superintendent 

and  overhead  or  preparatory  charges 335$ 

Coal  used 2  tons 

Area  of  section 325  square  feet 

Height  of  face 27' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 10 

Average  time  to  move  forward  once 12  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  forward  one  foot       .     .        3-064  minutes 

Average  time  to  move  one  car 1.95  minutes 

Pounds  coal  per  cubic  yard,  excavated 1 1  pounds 

Total  cost  to  excavate,  transport  and  spread  one  cubic  yard  58. 26c. 

Number  of  cars  for  one  shovel  move        61.5 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move  .     .     .       5'  10" 

Average  time  for  one  swing 27.8  seconds 

Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next 224  minutes 

TIME  STUDY— THIRD  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  6:28  12:11^ 

Stopped  work  11:26)4  S:o^/^ 

Min.  Min. 

Total  time  worked  298^     +  297  :=  S9S/^  minutes  •=.  9 

hours  55  minutes  30  seconds. 

340 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      
Spotting  cars     .      .      .      .      . 
Waiting  for  cars    
Moving  shovel        
Idle 

228 

3 

59 
24 

(171 

12 
48 
OO 

oo 
oo) 

38.3 

0.6 

9-9 
4.o 
(28  8) 

c 

oo 

o  8 

Boulder  in  dipper    .... 
Blasting    
Jacking     
Miscellaneous  delays       .     . 
Clearing  track     
Breaking  bank    
Repairing    boom    drain  and 
dipper    
Taking  boulder  off  track 

6 
158 

sy 

(109 
16 
18 

39 
35 

oo 
oo 
oo 

30) 

3° 
3° 

30 
oo 

I  .0 

26.6 
0.4 
(18.4) 

2.8 

3-1 

6.6 
5-9 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

595 

30 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  direct  labor  (loading)  per  day.      Standard  basis 
Cubic  yards  loaded  during  third  observation      .     .     . 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day'per  cubic  yard  =  $2  1  .  50 

~ 


#21.50 
369 


—  5.82  cents 


per  cubic  yard. 


Time 

Per 

Cost  per 

Varrl 

Total 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cent 

in  Cents 

Cost 

Charge    to    loosening     or 

breaking 

176 

7O 

2Q   6 

I    722 

I  .722 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading      .  "  . 

228 

2 

3«-  3 

2.23ol 

2.  Delays 

a  Moving  up     ... 

24 

4.o 

0.233  (r 

2-975 

b  Repairs      .... 

39 

30 

6.6 

0.384 

c  Miscellaneous     . 

T3 

2.2 

O.I28J 

Charge      to      transporting 

and  dumping 
i  .   Waiting  for  cars  . 

62 

8 

10.6 

0.617  ) 

2.    Miscellaneous        .     . 

5i 

3° 

8.7 

0.506  J 

i  .  iz  j 

595 

3° 

IOO.O 

.  .  . 

5.820 

341 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL   WORK 


No    of 

Analysis  of  Complete  Dipper 
Swing 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 

Attempts 
to  Fill 

Dipper 

Digging      .      .    1         . 
Swinging  loaded  (     lime 

6 

3 

14.4 

8.0 

3- 
15 

21 
21 

44 

Swinging  empty  j         m   , 

5/2 

9-0 

20 

21 

.  . 

Falling              .    J 

3 

4.o 

6 

21 

Time  to   load   and  empty 

one  dipperful  .... 

i7# 

35-4 

73 

21 

•• 

Time  for  one  complete  swing 


No.  of 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Observa- 

tions 

Seconds     .... 

22.5 

27.8 

39 

'9 

Number  of  swings  per  minute 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

No    of 
Observations 

i-54 

2.12 

2.66 

19 

342 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


l-o 

^=3 

<u  c         c 

"i>"c    I 

•^  bjO 

rd 

2 

0 

11 

a« 

£      C-^ 

O  2 

02    C 

o                      ^3  S  "  u 

"UH                      SP 

g,              2°        1 

18       ||il^ 

1 

1 

*£     8* 

till 

.  S  M            beg  g  o  £j£ 

II     lllfl! 

GH    o 

uw         QOOOH 

HnJ                  Q                P         H 

•§0,| 

^  • 

s  s 

g   g 

«  ^  6  « 

s 

:    ?<s  :  :      :  :    :  :  « 

H     s 

H 

IN    CO 

Tf   10 

u 

^~- 

—  r~ 

JS  ^ 

"     '     ^t  '^st 

a? 

'^£!^ 

MS' 

'^.                        M^                                          '           Tj- 

«S 

.    io 

10 

M 

s 

.     H                                M 

s^l 

io     Tt-vo   o  O  co       10 

<N         H  VO     6     6     CO           !>• 
H         t^  N     O     0     CO           CO 

vo 

0   O      ^-     ON  ro  co  t^ 

J 

'  —  •  —                 oo 

fa 

•>*•      10\O    COOO    CO         IN 

$ 

H 

4 

3          o<     fo  ^              M         00%     . 

Is 

O      0    O    O   O    0         O 
10     0   0   0   0   Q        10 
VO      O    t^  CO  •*•  0         O 

J 

0    u->     o      0    C    O   u^ 
00  00       O       tx  t^  O    O 

xC 

8     a  §8       8     8§>  : 

Q 

V-.JJ 

^^  ^^ 

^  ^J 

^ 

*                ^s                  ^             MS-OO 

Hii 

N 

co 

M 

a        a 

—  .        a       a 

a 

€  1     fel 

D              0              0 

1     •a     •* 

13                              ^ 

'  |  A  a  o  ^  -=     13 

,c.e  ^    a^x-^j 

J       -s   ^  a           «       xU 

0 

^  |Q|||    | 

o  »    £    =  £  ij 
•cc/3    s  Q  s^c/5 

I    1  Jo       1    II  • 

H     cs     ^  « 

42               «                ^ 

M         pq 

«       05 

PQ                                     ' 

M-ii 

o                  ^ 
ff>     "3       2 

£ 

1  1«  S'H^    1 

1    "i  .f  |        £"     21   • 

£ 

1   SplJ     c^ 

"«.!  J   IQ  lj 

1   .1  w  i     Q    U  * 

I  Sj     {?  8 

j=l      J    J 

J       5       H                     ^ 

c/3        05          p5 

«*f 

72              P3      M 

w- 

01       g       p5 

r- 

t_  _                                          j 

5 

v                                                                                                    y     fj 

I 

•oN  teyuia 

,: 

L  -oft  XajfUiQ 

o 

S  -oN  Aa>iuia              H 

343 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


344 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  78 


Fig.  79.     Scenes  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  Cut-off  Near  Netcong,  N.  J. 
345 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  80 


Fig.  81.     65-ton  Bucyrus  Shovel  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  Cut-off  Near 
Netcong,  N.  J. 


346 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


'  ••;  -  S^*&^'^fe^  '      ^ 


Fig.  83.     Scenes  on  Sec.  2,  D.,   L.  &  W.  Cut-off 

347 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

REPORT   No.  43        SHOVEL   No.  1106 

INSPECTED  JULY   23,  24,   1909 
SOO  ST.   MARIE,  MICH. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS    This  shovel  is  engaged  in  the 

improvement  of  the  United 

States  Ship  Canal  above  the  locks  at  Soo  St.  Marie, 
Mich.,  and  is  operated  by  the  Great  Lakes  Dredge 
and  Dock  Company,  which  has  the  contract  for  widen- 
ing the  present  canal  over  an  area  averaging  125  feet 
in  width  and  3700  feet  in  length  to  a  depth  which  would 
allow  24.6  feet  of  water. 

MATERIAL  The  material  is  almost  entirely  of  Potts- 
dam  sandstone  with  occasional  stratifica- 
tions of  hard  white  rock.  Due  to  the  material  and  the 
character  of  the  blasting,  the  work  for  the  shovel  is 
extremely  difficult,  as  is  shown  in  some  of  the  figures. 
The  rock  is  broken  into  large  irregular  pieces,  many  of 
which  must  be  pushed  aside  by  the  shovel.  The  shovel 
was  just  cutting  out  on  the  first  day  of  investigation.  It 
moved  back  800  feet  during  the  night  and  cut  in  next 
morning. 

MOVING  BACK  AND      The  throwing    of    the    loading 

THROWING    TRACK     track  was  very  difficult  because 

of  the  roughness  of  the  material 

which  was  left  in  the  shovel  pit  and  because  of  the  large 
number  of  boulders  which  the  shovel  could  not  handle. 
Much  delay  was  caused  on  account  of  having  to  break 
up  boulders  to  permit  of  lifting  full  sections  of  track 
over  them,  and  considerable  time  was  lost  for  both  track 
gang  and  shovel  crew  by  blasting.  The  blast  itself 
took  no  longer  than  usual,  but  because  of  the  uneven 

34S 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

character  of  the  material  the  charge  could  not  always 
be  properly  regulated,  with  the  result  that  very  often 
considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  track  and  to  the 
shovel  by  flying  material.  The  track  foreman  said  that 
with  a  crew  of  twenty  men  it  would  take  two  hours' 
continuous  work  to  throw  800  feet  of  track.  Most  of 
the  track  had  been  thrown  before  the  shovel  moved 
back.  When  the  shovel  did  move  back  over  this  part 
the  rails  were  placed  over  the  track  which  had  been 
thrown.  Moving  back  was  also  interrupted,  due  to 
blasts.  The  foreman  said  that  with  an  average  force 
of  twenty-two  men  the  shovel  could  be  moved  back  the 
800  feet  in  four  hours'  continuous  work. 

After  the  shovel  had  moved  back  and  cut  in,  it  en- 
countered many  boulders  which  were  too  large  to  be 
loaded  into  the  dump  cars.  They  had  to  be  clawed  out 
and  tossed  to  one  side  to  be  broken  up  later.  Other 
boulders  somewhat  smaller  in  size,  but  still  too  large  to 
be  handled  by  the  dipper,  were  raised  and  lowered  into 
the  cars  by  chains.  Altogether  it  was  very  difficult  work 
for  the  shovel,  which  accounts  for  the  poor  showing  that 
it  made. 

Transportation  was  also  hard  work.  At  the  time  of 
the  first  day's  observation  the  shovel  was  worked  beside 
the  loading  track,  which  was  on  a  5$  grade.  This  ex- 
tended for  some  distance  on  both  sides  of  the  shovel 
and  gave  the  trains  no  opportunity  to  start.  After  leav- 
ing a  pit  considerable  switching  was  necessary  before 
the  trains  could  get  upon  the  dump  track. 

The  job  was  well  supplied  with  water,  and  the  supply 
for  the  shovel  was  obtained  through  a  hose  about  300 
feet  long,  extending  over  the  bank  from  a  water  main. 
Coal  was  brought  in  by  the  regular  dump  train  and 
dumped  behind  the  shovel,  and  then  carried  on  board 
in  boxes  by  the  pitmen. 

349 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cross  section  of  bank,  sketched  a  short  time  before  shovel  had 
to  cut  out  and  run  back  to  enter  new  cut. 


OBSERVATIONS 

Weather,  bright  and  clear  ;  brisk  north  winds. 

Distance  of  move 

Type  of  shovel 

Kind  of  teeth 

Height  of  lift 10' 

Size  of  ties  under  shovel :  Regular  size  of  tie,  6"  x  8",  but  to  each 
6-foot  length  of  rail  there  was  one  8"  x  10"  tie.  On  this  tie 
plates  were  fastened,  at  the  proper  distance  from  each  end, 
each  with  two  angles  attached. 


.    6' 

7o-ton 

Rock 


Upon  moving  up  each  time  the  6-foot  rail  section  could  be  readily 

slipped  into  the  groove,  as  shown  in  sketch,  and  pins  slipped 

into  holes  to  secure  it. 

Size  of  bucket 2^  yards 

Age  of  shovel i  year 

Duration  of  job • 2^  months 

Shift         Eight  hours  long ;  two  shifts  per  day 

Water  is  pumped  through  line  of  hose  about  300  feet  long.    Coal 

is  drawn  to  shovel  by  dinkey  and  then  dumped.     Carried 

on  to   shovel  in  boxes  by  pitmen.     Repairs   are   made   on 

Sunday  by  regular  crew. 

Coal  used  per  day  of  1 6  hours 3  tons 

Oil  used  per  day  of  16  hours  :  Cylinder,  2  gallons  ;  black,  3  gallons 

Water  used 4500  gallons  per  16  hours 

Boiler  is  cleaned  every  other  Sunday 

Contract  price:  55  cents  per  yard  for  earth  and  soft  material; 

$1.30  per  yard  for  rock. 
Contract    includes    excavation    channeling,    building  and  filling 

cribs,  concrete. 

Kind  of  track,  etc Rail,  3o-pound ;  3-foot  gauge 

Kind  and  size  of  cars  used K  and  G  1905;  4-yard 

350 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


OBSERVATIONS— Continued 

Train  is  braked  by  steam  brake  on  engine.     Hand  brake  on  cars 
Hand  signals  are  used  by  man  on  shovel 

Kind  and  size  of  dinkey  .     .     .     H.  T.  Porter  Company,  14-ton 
Haul  is  about  one-half  mile  long. 

Number  of  trains,  three  \  No!  £  'scars  I  7/24/O9;    8-car  trains 


No.  6,  10  cars 


7/23/09 


Age  of  cars  and  dinkey:  Dump  cars,  1905;  dinkeys,  1909  and 
1907. 

TIME  STUDY— FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  8:48:00  00:00:00 

Stopped  work  11:54:45  00:00:00 

Min.    Sec. 
Total  time  worked    186     45  =  3  hours  6  minutes  45  seconds. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working     
\Vaiting  for  cars 

65 

74 

24 

I  A 

35  -1 
•*o  8 

Moving  shovel 

47 

7 

2C    I 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

1  86 

45 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (  Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

Runner 

$"%  oo 

Craneman 

«O'"W 

1  60 

Fireman       ....                 .                       ... 

2.40 

6  pitmen 

Q    OO 

$20  .  00 

Cars  loaded  during  observation  .  .  80  at  4  yards  =  320  yards 
Cubic  yards  loaded  during  observation  .  .  80x4x0  6*  =  192 
Based  on  observed  performance,  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  of 


192  X  480 
hours  =  -  =  495 


j      .        ,.          j 
Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  in  cubic  yards  = 


$20.00 


cents  per 


35i 


HANDBOOK    OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 

Cent 

Charge 
Cents 

Total 

Minutes 

Seconds 

Charge  to  loading 
i.    Actual  loading     . 
2.  'Delays 
a  Moving  up  . 
Charge  to  transporting 
and  dumping 
i.    Waiting  for  cars  . 

65 
47 

74 

; 

35-  i 

25.1 

39-8 

1.419  ^ 
I.OI4  ) 

1.607 

2-433 
1.607 

IOO.O 

4.040 

*.     /•  •       ,  p.   m. 

*  o.  6  =  ratio  of  — 

w.  m. 


TIME  STUDY  DEDUCTIONS— FIRST  DAY 


No.  of 

Obser- 
vations 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Time  idle,  shovel  mov- 
ing UD 

7 

10  • 

7 

5 

10 

So 

6 

8 
7 
4 

32 
10 

16 

oo 

17 

7 

ii 

9 
6 

51 

17 

17 
32 

8 

M 
13 

45 

5° 
i5 
43 
26 

Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working   . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper     . 
Number  of  dippers  per 
move    
Number  of  dippers  per 
train      
Number  of  dippers  per 
car   .... 

27 
16 

o2 
18.2 

2-3 

40 
23 

Number  of  trains  loaded  . 
Number  of  cars  loaded 
Cars  per  train      .... 


10 

80 

8 


352 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME  STUDY— SECOND  DAY 


Forenoon 


Afternoon 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Total  time  worked 


8:39:55 

4:30:00 

Min.      Sec. 

470       5     —7  hours  50  minutes  5  seconds 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      
Waiting  for  cars    
Moving  shovel       
Miscellaneous  delays 
Clearing  boulders    .... 
Coaling  and  changing  shifts 
Small  repairs      

246 
60 
1  08 

(54 
20 

27 
7 

35 
3° 

15 

45) 
oo 

15 
3° 

52.5 

12.9 

23.0 

(ii.  6) 
4.2 

5-8 

1.6 

Total  time  under  observation   . 

470 

5 

IOO.O 

Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Number  of  cars  loaded  during  observation  .     .         107  @  4  yard 

Cubic  yards  loaded  during  observation    .       107  X4XO.6*  =  257 

Based  on  observed  performance  cubic  yards  loaded  per  day  of  8 

hours  =  257x480  minutes    o  seconds 

470  minutes    5  seconds 

Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day,  per  cubic  yard  =  — -^ —  =  7.64  cents 
per  yard. 


262 


262 


Process  Analysis 

Time 

Per 
Cent 

Cost  per 
Yard 
in  Cents 

Total 
•Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading 

246 

35 

52.5 

4.0II1 

2.  Delays 
a  Moving  up     ... 

1  08 

15 

23.0 

!-757  f 

6.654 

b  Miscellaneous 

54 

45 

ii.  6 

0.886J 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.  Waiting  for  cars    . 

60 

30 

12.9 

0.986 

0.986 

470 

5 

IOO.O 

7.640 

*o.6  =  ratio  of 


P.  M. 
W.M. 


353 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TIME  STUDY   DEDUCTIONS— SECOND  DAY 


No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

Cutting  In.       Many  Boulders. 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 

Min. 

Sec. 
00 
5° 

3° 
oo 

62.7 

Time  idle,  shovel  mov- 
ing up  
Time  between  moves, 
shovel  working  . 
Time  between  trains  . 
Time  per  train  loading 
Time  per  dipper 
Number  of  dippers  per 
move    .... 
Number  of  dippers  per 
train      .           ... 
Number  of  dippers  per 
car    

10 
II 

7 
ii 
1  1 

ii 
ii 

107 

7 

4 
3 
i5 

55 

25 
30 

20 

33-9 

10 

8 

21 

49 

38 

4i 
50.6 

!5 

40 
12 

28 

5 

28 

<->•?   2 

27ir 
2.86 

43 
3° 

Number  of  trains  loaded 
Number  of  cars  loaded    . 

Cars  per  train    ... 


12 

107 

8  trains  of  10  cars  each 
3  trains  of  8  cars  each 
i  train  of  3  cars 


ACTUAL  RATIOS 

Water  consumption,  pounds  _  37,500  _ 
Coal  consumption,  pounds  6,000 


354 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


^/ 

as    /)  /j   oaf  of 
Me    /-aaa^  <S/-///fj  dotv/ffy 


355 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     S  II  O  V  E  I,    WORK 


Fig.  85.     Shovel  No.  1106  Near  Soo  Ste.  Marie,  Mich. 

356 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 

REPORT  No.  45  -  -  SHOVEL  No.  875 

INSPECTED  AUGUST   n   AND  21,  1909 
NEAR  COLUMBIA,  N.  J. 

Shovel  No.  875  was  working  on  Section  No.  7  of  the 
D.,  L.  &  W.  cut-off  near  Columbia,  N.  J.,  together  with 
No.  795,  under  the  report  on  which  will  be  found  a 
general  description  relative  to  both.  See  page  312. 

No.  875  has  an  all-steel  boom  and  dipper  handle. 
The  boom  is  reinforced  with  lattice  bracing,  and  does 
not  spread  in  hard  digging. 

OBSERVATIONS— GENERAL 

Weight 70  tons 

Gauge Standard 

Height  of  lift 5^' 

Kind  of  teeth Manganese  steel 

Height  blocked  up .  i ' 

Pivot  of  boom .     .5'  above  track  of  shovel 

Length  of  boom 28' 

Length  of  dipper  handle          18.3' 

Distance  from  inside  shovel  track  to  inside  track   .     .     .     .21' 

Reach  of  boom ...  ...      15.7' 

Height  of  point  of  boom  above  pivot  of  boom 18' 

Farthest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump .29' 

Highest  dipper  can  reach  to  dump 16' 

Difference  in  elevation  between  shovel  and  dinkey  track,  =  o. 

Diameter  of  swing  circle Tl/z' 

Diameter  of  bank  (when  broken) 7^' 

Dipper  depth  =  48",  lip  =  60",  teeth  =  75". 
Weather,  clear. 

Capacity  of  cars 2  yards  when  loaded  with  rock 

Number  of  cars  in  one  train         10 

Height  of  cars  above  their  track 5^' 

Length  of  haul  (approximate) 6300' 

Length  of  runaround  (approximate) 12600' 

Weight  of  dinkeys         ...        18  tons 

Style  of  car  :    Side  dump  on  both  sides  ;  and  also  side  dump,  one 
side  only. 

Height  of  cars  above  shovel  track 5^' 

Gauge  of  dinkey  track Narrow 

357 


H  A  N  D  BO  O  K     OF    S  T  E  A  M     SHOVEL    WO  R  K 


OBSERVATIONS—  GENERAL— Continued 

Number  of  trains      ....  .        2 

Grades.     One  at  shovel  about  50'  long,  over  which  the  loaded 

cars  could  not  be  hauled.     Otherwise  none. 
Full  trains  on  grades,  with  extra  dinkey  to  help. 

Number  of  cars  loaded 121 

Cubic  yards  excavated 242 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day 78' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward     .  12 

Average  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move  ....       6'  6" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  be- 
ginning of  next,  46.1  minutes. 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 10.  i 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  while  spotting  one  car  .  .083  minute 
Minutes  per  working  day  less  time  for  accidental  delays  .  604 
Area  of  section  .  .  200  square  feet  when  material  was  blasted 
Height  of  face  .  .  7  V2  square  feet  when  material  was  blasted 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank .        3 

Coal  used 2.28  tons 

TIME  STUDY— FIRST  DAY 

Forenoon  Afternoon 

Started  work  6:59  1:03 

Stopped  work  12:04  6:06 

Min.  Min.          Min. 

Total  time  worked      305   -+-   303   =   608  =   10  hours  8  minutes. 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working     

274 

OO 

45-1 

Spotting  cars  

IO 

OO 

1.6 

Waiting  for  cars  .      .           ... 

5 

3° 

0.9 

Moving  shovel      

1  80 

OO 

29.6 

Idle 

Blasting  .                 

61 

OO 

IO.O 

Boulder  in  bucket       .... 

9 

3° 

1.6 

Repairing  dinkey  track   . 

3° 

2.6 

Miscellaneous  delays 

Clearing  track  

35 

3° 

5-8 

Moving  boulders         .... 

12 

OO 

2.0 

Tearing  down  bank    .... 

2 

00 

0.3 

Car  off  track          .... 

3 

OO 

Total  time  under  observation 

608 

00 

100    0 

358 


HANDBOOKOF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


Cost  of  Direct  Labor  (Loading)  per  Day 

Standard  Basis 

$^.oo 

wj. 
1.6o 

2.40 

9.00 

i  .50 

$21.50 

Number  of  cubic  yards  loaded  on  day  of  observation 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  per  cubic  yard 
per  cubic  yard. 


$21.50 
242 


Time 

Cost  per 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Per 
Cent 

Yard  in 
Cents 

Cost  in 
Cents 

Min. 

Sec. 

Charge      to      waiting     for 

7  ^ 

oo 

12    T. 

I     OQ2 

I    OQ2 

Charge  to  loading 

i.  Actual  loading  . 

274 

oo 

45-  l 

4.004^ 

2.   Delays 
a  Moving  up     ... 

1  80 

oo 

29.6 

2  .  630   j 

6.776 

b  Miscellaneous     . 

9 

3° 

1.6 

O.I42j 

Charge  to  transporting  and 

dumping 

i.   Waiting  for  trains 

M 

30 

2-5 

0.222  \ 

2.  Miscellaneous  .      .     . 

54 

00 

8.9 

o  790  \ 

608 

oo 

100.  0 

8.88 

Dipper  Performance 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

No.  of 
Obser- 
vations 

No.  of 
At- 
tempts 

Digging                 1      Time 
Swinging  loaded  j 

3 
3 

12    3 

5-3 

3°-5 
9 

21 
21 

48 

Swinging  empty  f              , 

4 

5-3 

1  1 

Falling     .      .      .  J 

2 

3-5 

6 

Total  time  to  fill  and  load 

one  dipperful    .... 

12 

26.4 

56.5 

359 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  W  O  R  K 


Time  for  one  complete  swing 

Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number  of 
Observa- 
tions 

Seconds      .... 

14 

18.1 

28 

21 

OBSERVATIONS— SECOND  DAY 

Number  of  cars  loaded 84 

Cubic  yards  excavated     .  168 

Total  distance  moved  forward  during  day         28' 

Number  of  times  moved  forward 8 

Maximum  distance  moved  forward  in  one  move    .      .      .      .   6'  2" 
Average  time  between  beginning  of  one  shovel  move  and  begin- 
ning of  next,  43.9  minutes 

Number  of  cars  to  one  shovel  move 11.2 

Time  shovel  is  interrupted  to  change  train        .      .      .18  minutes 

Area  of  section 225  square  feet 

Height  of  face 9' 

Number  of  times  blasted  bank 4 


TIME  STUDY 

Forenoon 


Started  work 
Stopped  work 

Total  time  worked 
6  minutes. 

7:00 
12:08 

Min.          Min. 

308    +    298 

Afternoon 
1:06 
6:04 


298   =   606  minutes   =    10  hours 


Minutes 

Seconds 

Per  Cent 

Actual  working      

I5l 

15 

25.0 

Spotting  cars 

•JQ 

I   ** 

Waiting  for  cars     

18 

Ju 

3-° 

Moving  shovel  

89 

45 

14.8 

Idle 

Blasting    

3°9 

51.0 

Miscellaneous  delays 
Pulling  in  bank  

(30 

26 

30) 
3° 

(5-o) 
4  4 

Moving  boulders     .... 

4 

0.6 

Total  time  under  observation  . 

606 

00 

1  00.0 

360 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day,  loading 

Cubic  yards  loaded  on  second  day  of  observation 


521.50 
1 68 


Cost  of  direct  labor  per  day  per  cubic  yard 


$2i-5o_  12.80  cents  per 


1 68 


yard 


Time 

Cost  Per 

Total 

Process  Analysis 

Per  Cent 

Yard  in 

Cost 

Min. 

Sec. 

Cents 

Charge  to  loosening  or 

breaking     . 

339 

3° 

56.0 

7.167 

7.167 

Charge  to  loading 

I  .    Actual  loading 

IS1 

IS 

25.0 

3.2OO  ) 

2     Delays 

> 

5-°95 

a  Moving  up  . 

89 

45 

14.8 

1.895) 

Charge  to  transporting 

and  dumping 

i     Waiting  for  trains 

25 

3° 

4.2 

0-538 

0-538 

606 

00 

IOO  O 

12.80 

Dipper  Performance 

Mini- 
mum 

Aver- 
age 

Maxi- 
mum 

Number 
Obser- 
vations 

Number 
Attempts 

Digging      .      .       .      .    ] 
Swinging  loaded      .    1    Time  in 
Swinging  empty       .    j   seconds 
Falling  empty      .     .  J 

4.0 

3-o 
3-o 

2.O 

9-3 
4.4 

4-3 

5-2 

30 

6y4 

6^ 
16* 

51 

51 
51 
51 

51 

Timeto  fill  and  load  one  dipperful 

12.0 

23.2 

60 

51 

Time  for  one  complete  swing 


Minimum 

Average 

Maximum 

Number 
Observations 

Seconds  .           . 

12.0 

15.3 

T9-5 

51 

361 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


TRANSPORTATION       (See  Report  No.  795) 


Moving  Shovel 

Average 
Seconds 

Number  of 
Observations 

Uniacking 

1  1  1 

Leveling  in  front    . 

J 

49 

I 

Laying  ties    

77 

4 

Laying  rails  

69 

5 

Unclamping        

25 

i 

Moving          •     

21 

4 

Clamping  up      

66 

3 

Jacking  up          

167 

2 

Carrying  rails  to  front 

40 

3 

Carrying  ties  to  front 

49 

3 

694  =  1 1  minutes  34  seconds 


Cost  of  Labor  to 

Move  No.  875  From  Siding  to  Work 

Standard  Basis 

Runner 
Craneman 
Fireman   . 
Watchman    .     . 
Foreman 
Laborers 
Team,  ties 
Team,  coal 

80  hours  @  $o.  50  = 
.     .      .        80  hours  @    0.36  = 
80  hours  @    0.24  = 
.     .      .       80  hours  @    0.15  = 
.     .      .        80  hours  @    0.20  = 
.    1  1  35  hours  @    0.15  = 
130  hours  @    0.30  = 
Co  hours  (a)/    o  30  — 

$40  oo 

28.80 
19.20 
12.  OO 

•16.00 

170.25 
39.00 

I  ^  OO 

Coal     .     .     .     . 
Oil        .     .     .     . 

28.00 
8.  co 

$376.75 

362 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


Fig.  86 


Fig.  87.     Bucyrus  Shovel  No.  875  on  D.,  L.  &  W.  Cut-off 
363 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 


CHAPTER    X 

DIRECTIONS   FOR  MOVING  SHOVEL 

ECONOMIC  HINTS  In  order  to  systematize  the  vari- 
ous operations  in  moving  a  steam 

shovel  and  thus  reduce  the  cost  to  a  minimum,  as  re- 
ferred to  in  Chapter  II,  we  have  given  the  order  in 
which  these  movements  should  be  made. 

A  contractor  who  finds,  upon  timing  his  work,  that  he 
is  not  moving  his  shovels  within  the  limit  given  in  this 
chapter,  will  do  well  to  investigate  wherein  his  trouble 
lies  by  comparing  the  actions  of  his  men  with  the 
movements  herein  tabulated. 

We  also  give  in  this  chapter  valuable  hints  to  super- 
intendents and  managers,  which,  if  adhered  to,  will  be 
of  great  assistance  in  obtaining  economical  results. 

For  the  use  of  estimators  we  have  given,  in  Chap- 
ter IV,  a  complete  classification  of  the  items  to  be  con- 
sidered, and  in  this  chapter  a  few  important  hints  which 
we  believe  will  also  be  of  assistance. 


Q^/W^/C 
^% 
D^ 


M 


JA 


JB 


H 


364 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


(1)  Just    before    moving,   the    last    dipperful  will   be  taken 
from  B.     As  this  dipper  is  being  filled,  runner  gives  one  whistle 
signal  to  the  pit  gang  (six  men  in  pit).     Two  men  go  to  JA  and 
two  to  JB,  and  one  man  goes  out  to  F  on  the  rail  clamp  and  one 
to  H  on  the  rail  clamp. 

(2)  As  soon  as  the  dipper  has  swung  to  the  left  of  the  center 
(M)  JB  is  loose,  and  one  of  the  men  there  runs  up  the  screw. 

(3)  One  man  at  JA  puts    his   pole  over  the  jack  and  gets 
ready  to  raise  his  jack  block.    Meanwhile  the  dipper  has  dumped 
at  A. 

(4)  Other  man  at  JB  now  raises  his  jack  block  and  is  ready 
to  move. 

(5)  Dipper  swings  to  the  right  far  enough  past  M  to  take  the 
weight  off  of  JA,  which  is  immediately  screwed  up  and  the  block 
raised. 

(6)  While  runner  is  throwing  in  his  moving  clutch,  one  man 
at  F  is  knocking  loose  rail  clamp,  and  one  man  from  JA  and 
one  from  JB  pick  up  the  chock  and  carry  it  forward  to  its  new 
position. 

(7)  Runner  now  moves  shovel  ahead ;  H  knocks  the  clamp 
loose.     F  is  meanwhile  putting  his  clamp  on  in  the  new  position. 

(8)  As  soon  as  the  shovel  strikes  the  front  chock,  H  puts 
his   clamp   on.     The   bucket  is   in   the   center  position  for  this 
movement. 

(9)  The  jackmen  JA  and  JB  immediately  screw  down  their 
jacks,  and  the  first  man  to  get  his  jack  down  gives  signal  to 
runner,  who  takes  first  bucketful  on  his  side.     This  enables  man 
on  either  side  to  get  his  jack  wrell  screwed  down  before  bucket 
crosses  center  line  again,  working  away  at  full  speed. 

Shovel  flow  works  away  even  if  a  little  out  of  level.  It  can 
be  leveled  up  by  runner  telling  JA  or  JB  to  loosen  a  little,  the 
opposite  man  screwing  down  on  the  next  half  swing. 

HINTS 

(1)  Drag  rear  chock  by  chains  fastened  to  the  shovel. 

(2)  Have  jackmen  use  jack  arm  for  fulcrum  on  which  to  rest 
poles  for  carrying  jack  block. 

ECONOMIC  HINTS  TO  SUPERINTENDENTS 

Cultivate  the  habit  of  learning  new  methods  from 
published  accounts,  and  then  don't  wait  to  see  them 
used,  but  apply  them  yourself,  even  if  you  have  to  de- 
vise some  details  which  were  not  described.  The  man 

365 


HANDBOOK     OF    S T E  A  M     S  H  O  V E  L     W  O  R  K 

who  avails  himself  of  published  data  becomes  a  cen- 
tenarian in  experience  before  he  is  thirty  in  years. 

Responsibility  without  authority,  and  authority  with- 
out responsibility,  are  fatal  to  successful  work.  Don't 
let  the  men  "knock"  each  other  on  the  work. 

One  of  the  secrets  of  successful  management  consists 
in  quickly  finding  out  who  is  inefficient.  The  best  su- 
perintendent always  hails  "from  Missouri." 

One  of  Gilbreth's  rules  :  No  superintendent,  walking- 
boss,  engineer,  time-keeper,  or  other  employee  is  per- 
mitted to  give  an  order  direct  to  any  workman,  except 
in  case  of  great  emergency.  Not  even  a  member  of  the 
firm  is  exempt  from  this  rule.  The  foreman  in  direct 
charge  of  a  gang  is  the  only  man  permitted  to  instruct 
his  men  what  to  do.  He  is  the  officer  in  charge,  and 
his  superior  officers  must  not,  intentionally  or  uninten- 
tionally, degrade  him  in  the  eyes  of  his  men  by  issuing 
orders  over  his  head. 

In  order  to  get  the  most  work  out  of  a  man  for  his 
money  it  is  necessary  to  offer  him  a  stronger  incentive 
to  do  his  best  than  the  mere  fear  of  discharge  for  incom- 
petency. 

It  is  highly  economical  to  use  all  possible  means  to 
prevent  men  from  getting  injured  on  the  work. 

Don't  mistake  activity  for  work. 

Look  out  for  the  man  whose  mind  is  centered  upon 
more  help  instead  of  more  method. 

One  of  the  most  demoralizing  agents  on  a  large  piece 
of  construction  work  is  the  rumor,  especially  if  the 
rumor  is  true,  that  the  work  is  being  unsuccessfully 
prosecuted.  The  belief  that  the  contractor  is  losing 
money,  if  allowed  to  circulate  among  his  own  men  is 
almost  fatal  to  a  high  state  of  discipline  and  efficiency. 

Time-keeper  must  not  gossip  on  the  work,  a  sure 
cause  of  dissatisfaction.  The  men  should  know  as 
little  of  the  politics  of  the  work  as  possible.  Dissen- 
tions  at  headquarters  are  bound  to  affect  the  men  and 

366 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

their  work.  If  unity  is  lacking  in  high  places  it  will 
also  be  lacking  lower  down. 

Don't  let  the  executive  do  any  avoidable  detail  work 

It  may  be  economical  to  pay  higher  wages  than  the 
prevailing  rate.  This  attracts  the  best  class  of  labor. 
Men  will  often  do  10  per  cent  more  work  for  5  per  cent 
more  pay. 

Cut  of  10  per  cent  in  wages  may  mean  reduction  of 
20  per  cent  in  output. 

Differential  rates  of  pay  for  the  same  kind  of  work 
are  a  menace  to  effective  results. 

To  avoid  demoralization  men  must  be  paid  promptly 
on  regular  pay  day.  No  matter  how  sure  the  men  may 
be  of  their  pay,  failure  to  meet  them  on  pay  day  affects 
the  work  badly. 

Rule  of  Gilbreth's :  No  smoking  allowed  on  the  j'ob 
except  to  finish  noon  smoke.  Not  over  one-half  hour 
and  no  refilling  of  pipes. 

Gilbreth  advertises  that  he  will  pay  one  dollar  for 
every  suggestion  that  is  made  by  an  employee  and  ac- 
cepted by  the  company,  and  they  award  monthly  the 
sum  of  $20  for  the  most  valuable  suggestion  received 
during  the  previous  month.  First  prize  $10,  second 
prize  $5,  third  prize  $3,  and  fourth  prize  $2.  As  soon 
as  awards  are  made  prizes  are  paid  in  cash.  A  notice 
is  posted  to  this  effect  on  every  job. 

All  monthly  men  or  steady  pay  men  should  be  on  the 
job  before  the  first  whistle  is  sounded  and  remain  there 
until  quitting  time  regardless  of  weather. 

A  daily  report  should  be  sent  to  the  home  office  on 
the  blanks  provided.  If  no  work  is  being  done,  still  a 
report  should  be  sent  in  stating  that  fact,  and  giving 
reasons  for  delays,  etc. 

All  sources  of  dissatisfaction  should  be  immediately 
and  impartially  investigated,  and  the  men  must  know 
that,  although  they  are  responsible  for  the  quantity  of 
their  work  to  the  immediate  foreman,  they  are  abso- 

367 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

lutely  in  touch  with  the  management  as  far  as  justice  to 
the  men  is  concerned. 

Poor  coal  supply  causes  serious  delay  and  loss  of 
money. 

Breakdowns  of  machinery  will  cause  loss  of  money 
which  cannot  be  estimated  and  will  always  be  uneco- 
nomical. 

Keep  parts  of  all  machines  together  in  storage,  so 
that  they  can  be  easily  found. 

Upon  laying  up  rock  drills,  hoists,  etc.,  cover  the 
bright  surface  with  a  mixture  of  paraffin  and  vaseline 
heated  and  applied  with  a  brush.  The  mixture  is  read- 
ily rubbed  off. 

In  cold  weather,  at  night,  drain  all  water  and  oil  from 
cylinders  and  lubricators  of  engines  and  pumps.  The 
common  lard  oils  are  full  of  acid  and  will  cut  machinery. 

By  means  of  lye  bath  and  air  blasts,  dirty,  greasy 
machinery  may  be  quickly  cleaned. 

Cylinders  of  engines  and  steam  drills  are  frequently 
cracked  in  cold  weather  by  suddenly  letting  in  steam. 
To  avoid  this,  open  drip  cocks  and  cocks  on  steam 
chest  and  blow  in  steam  for  a  few  minutes  to  warm  up 
the  cylinder  before  starting  the  machine.  A  broken 
cylinder  may  delay  work  for  a  week  or  longer. 

Test  boiler  gauges  from  time  to  time. 

Use  three-wire  connection  with  three-wire  machine 
for  blasting. 

Look  out  for  air  in  water  pipe  at  top  of  a  grade. 
Provide  a  blow-off  cock. 

Description  of  the  work  on  the  Sonlengs  Canal  states 
that  clay  excavated  by  steam  shovels  came  out  in  lumps 
so  hard  that  it  could  not  be  cut  up  economically.  The 
problem  was  solved  by  the  use  of  a  sprinkling  hose. 

A  1 6-foot  hickory  or  ash  pole,  shod  with  a  pointed 
spike  for  breaking  down  the  bank  in  front  of  the  shovel 
in  deep  cuts  is  often  a  great  time  saver. 

368 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

Steam  shovels  can  be  buried  by  slips  where  the  bank 
is  too  high. 

When  the  shovel  has  a  lift  of  9  feet,  and  it  is  desired 
to  take  out  a  1 2-foot  cut,  this  can  often  be  done  by 
putting  the  shovel  on  stilts,  as  it  were,  i.  e.,  blocking 
up  the  tracks  the  requisite  amount.  • 

Plot  the  location  of  all  drill  holes  on  cross-section 
paper  and  write  thereon  the  depth  of  each  hole  and  the 
powder  charge  in  it. 

In  drilling  open  cut  work  it  is  wise  to  pitch  the  holes 
down  away  from  the  face.  The  explosion  will  then 
throw  the  rock  away  from  the  face. 

In  forging  rock-drill  bits,  those  for  medium  hard  rock 
should  have  sharp  chisel  bits.  As  the  hardness  of  the 
rock  increases,  the  angle  of  the  bit  may  be  made  more 
obtuse  and  the  cutting  edge  shaped  from  a  straight  line 
to  a  curve  to  prevent  the  corners  from  being  chipped  off. 

There  should  be  no  air  cushions  in  the  blast  hole. 
To  accomplish  this,  slit  the  cartridges  with  a  knife 
lengthwise  of  two  sides,  being  sure  not  to  do  this  to  a 
frozen  or  partly  frozen  stick,  and  place  it  well  home 
with  a  wooden  rammer. 

In  springing  for  black  powder  work,  it  is  important 
not  to  load  the  hole  until  after  the  rock  has  cooled  off, 
as  the  springing  charge  develops  considerable  heat. 

The  usual  size  of  a  case  of  dynamite  is  three-quarters 
of  a  cubic  foot,  therefore  an  old  powder  box  is  often 
much  more  convenient  for  measuring  coal  than  a  bushel 
basket. 

Dynamite,  when  frozen,  can  sometimes  be  exploded 
by  extra  strong  caps. 

Don't  blow  unexploded  dynamite  out  of  a  hole  with 
a  steam  jet.  Use  air  instead. 

369 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL     WORK 

ADVANTAGE  OF  WHISTLE  OR  BELL  To  get  hand 
SIGNALS  OVER  HAND  SIGNALS  signals,  a  man 

must   look   for 

the  signals,  which  requires  that  he  should  be  constantly 
watching  the  signal  man  and  will  be  unable  to  give  his 
attention  to  other  things.  Bell  or  whistle  signals  do 
not  require  his  attention. 


Acknowledgment  should  be  made  of 
the  excellent  field  work  in  gathering  the 
data  contained  in  this  volume  by  Messrs. 
F.  M.  GAIGER,  CHAS.  HOUSTON,  E.  C. 
WILDER,  A.  C.  HASKELL  and  W.  T. 
BALL,  and  the  marked  courtesy  rendered 
us  by  all  the  contractors  to  whom  we 
applied  for  information. 

No  effort  has  been  spared  to  make  this 
book  entirely  trustworthy  as  to  facts,  but 
although  it  has  been  carefully  checked  for 
errors  it  is  possible  that  mistakes  may 
have  escaped  notice.  If  any  should  be 
noted  by  the  reader  a  memorandum  to 
that  effect  addressed  to  the  Construction 
Service  Co.,  15  William  Street,  New  York 
City,  would  be  much  appreciated. 

R.  T.  DANA 
For  Construction  Service  Company 


370 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 

Page 

CHAPTER  I.     NATURE  OF  THE  PROBLEM          .         .  5 

Process  of  Loading          .                    .          .          .          .  6 

Steam  Shovel  versus  Hand  Loading          .        "v        ..  6 

Cost  of  Work  by  Human  Power       ....  7 

Great  Variation  in  Steam  Shovel  Efficiency       .          .  7 

Trained  Labor  Necessary         .           .          .          .          .  8 

Co-operation  of  Other  Processes      .          .        ,  .          .  8 

Work  Economically  Justifying  a  Steam  Shovel           .  8 

CHAPTER  II.     GENERAL  CONDITIONS  AND  FORMULAS  10 

Repairs           ........  10 

Depreciation            .           .           .           .          .           .           .  10 

Interest          .          *          .          .          ...          .          .  i i 

Height  of  Bank      .           .          .          .          .          .          .  II 

Standard  Rates      .          .          .          .          .          .;         .  1 1 

Formulas  and  Diagrams           ..                   .          ;          .  12 

Mathematical  Analysis         "  •.          .      '    .          .          .  12 

Standard  Assumptions    .          .                    .          .          .  16 

Uses  of  Cost  Curves       .          .                    ..       .          .  16 

Cost  Curve  Diagrams      .                     .                     .           .  20 

CHAPTER  III.     FIELD  CONDITIONS           .         .          .  28 

Equipment    .         V    '    •  »•    ':.  >         .''       .          .          -  28 

Superintendence     .          .          .          .          .          .          .  29 

General  Arrangement      .           .          .          .                     .  29 

Lost  Time      .          .          .          .          .          ...          .  30 

Kind  of  Labor        .          .          .          .          ....  32 

Kind  and  Condition  of  Material        .           .                     .  33 

CHAPTER  IV.     ESTIMATING     .          .          .          .          .  35 

Standard  Classification  of  Expenses  35 

Diagram  Showing  Cost  in  Cents  per  Cubic  Yard        .  37 

Table  of  Rates  of  Wages 37 

Diagram  Showing    Time  in    Seconds    for    Complete 

Dipper  Swing           ......  38 

371 


HANDBOOK     OF    STEAM     SHOVEL    WORK 
CHAPTER  IV— Continued 

Page 
Diagram    Showing    Idle    Time    of    Shovels   Due    to 

Waiting  for  Cars     ......          39 

Diagram  Showing  Actual  Shovel  Working  Time        .          40 

CHAPTER  V.     SHOVEL  WORK  IN  SAND  AND  GRAVEL         41 

Report  No.  i,  Shovel  No.  612,  in  Sand  Pit  at  Dune 

Park,  Ind 42 

Report  No.  2,  Shovel  No.  1118,  on  W.  &  L.  E.  R.  R., 

Relocation  at  Kent,  Ohio  ....  49 

Report  No.  3,  Shovel  No.  6n,  on  Railroad  Embank- 
ment at  Gary,  Ind.  .....  58 

Report  No.  4,  Shovel  No.  166,  in  Gravel  Pit  at  South 

Bend,  Ind.  .......  64 

Report  No.  5,  Shovel  No.  58,  in  Gravel  Pit  at  Janes- 

ville,  Wis.  .......  70 

CHAPTER  VI.     STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  EARTH  AND 

GLACIAL  DRIFT 78 

Report  No.  6,  Shovel  No.  893,   Grading    Sunnyside 

Yard  at  Long  Island  City,  New  York  .  .  79 
Report  No.  9,  Shovel  No.  1121,  Excavating  Sewer 

Trench,  Chicago,  111.         .....          97 

CHAPTER  VII.  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  CLAY  .  104 
Report  No.  n,  Shovel  No.  1119,  on  Relocation  of 

W.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.,  at  Kent,  Ohio  .  .  .104 
Report  No.  12,  Shovel  No.  843,  on  the  L.  S.  &  M.  S. 

Cut-off,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio  .  .  .  .in 
Report  No.  13,  Shovel  No.  666,  on  Relocation  of  the 

W.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.,  near  Kent,  Ohio  .  .  .118 
Report  No.  14,  Shovel  1128,  Stripping  the  Grant 

Mine  at  Buhl,  Minn.         .  .  .          .  .123 

Report  No.  15,  Shovel  No.  650,  Digging  Slag  at 

South  Deering,  111.  .          .  .  .          .130 

Report  No.  16,  Shovel  No.  980,  Excavating  Clay  at 

Chicago,  111 136 

372 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

CHAPTER  VII— Continued 

Page 
Report  No.  17,  Shovel  No.  424,  Excavating  Clay  at 

Riverdale,  111.  .          .          .          .          .          .143 

Report  No.  19,  Shovel  No.  517,  Stripping  in  the 

Grant  Mine  at  Buhl,  Minn.  .  .  ''•-:.  .  154 

Explanation  of  Time  Study  of  Report  No.  19  .  .  164 

Explanation  of  Tables  of  Shovel  No.  517  .  .  164 

Table  Showing  Time  of  Different  Parts  of  Dipper 

Action,  Shovel  No.  517  .  .  .  .167 

Report  No.  20,  Shovel  No.  727,  Excavating  in  Clay 

Pit  at  Chicago,  111.  .          .          .          .          .169 

CHAPTER  VIII.  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  IN  IRON  ORE  174 
Description  of  the  Mesabi  Range  .  .  .  .174 
General  Remarks,  Oliver  Iron  Mining  Co.,  Hibbing, 

Minn.  .  .  .  .  •  .  .  188 

Report  No.  21,  Shovel  No.  710,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Chisholm,  Minn.  .          .          .          .          .191 

Report  No.  22,  Shovel  No.  719,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Amasa,  Mich.       .          .          .          .          .          .198 

Report  No.  23,  Shovel  No.  707,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Negaunee,  Mich.  .  .  .  .  205 

Report  No.  24,  Shovel  No.  1127,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Ironwood,  Mich.  ...  .  .          .        212 

Report  No.  25,  Shovel  No.    1142,  in  Stock   Pile  Ex- 
cavation at  Stambaugh,  Mich.  .          .          .        220 

Report  No.  26,  ShoVel  No.  1124,  in  Open  Pit  Mining 

at  Michigamme,  Mich.  .  .  .  .  ,.  225 
Report  No.  27,  Shovel  No.  1074,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Ishpeming,  Mich.  .  .»  ;  .  .  .  .  231 

Report  No.  28,  Shovel  No.  1083,  Excavating  Soft 

Ore  at  Seller's  Pit,  Hibbing,  Minn.  .  .  ..  236 
Report  -No.  29,  Shovel  No.  866,  in  Stock  Pile  Work 

at  Princeton,  Mich.  .          .          .          .          .245 

Taking  Down  Boom  and  Dipper  of  Shovel  No.  700 

at  Chisholm,  Minn.  .          .          .          .          .252 

373 


HANDBOOK  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 

Page 

CHAPTER  IX.     STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK  ix  ROCK       .       254 

Report  No.  30,  Shovel  No.  1108,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  at  Hopatcong,  N.  J.  .  .  .  255 

Report  No.  31,  Shovel  No.  1138,  Excavating  Lime- 
stone at  Thornton,  111.  .....  265 

Report  No.  32,  Shovel  No.  1073,  Excavating  Lime- 
stone at  Thornton,  111.  .  .  .  .278 

Report  No.  33,  Shovel  No.  1096,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Johnsonburg,  N.  J.  .  .  .  286 

Report  No.  34,  Shovel  No.  1097,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Johnsonburg,  N.  J.  .  .  .  301 

Report  No.  35,  Shovel  No.  795,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Columbia,  N.  J.  .  .  .312 

Report  No.  38,  Shovel  No.  1137,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Hopatcong,  N.  J.  .  .  .  323 

Report  No.  42,  Shovel  No.  350,  on  U.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Netcong,  N.  J.  .  .  331 

Report  No.  43,  Shovel  No.  1106,  Excavating  U.  S. 

Ship  Canal  on  Soo  St.  Marie,  Mich.  .  .  347 

Report  No.  45,  Shovel  No.  875,  on  D.,  L.  &  W. 

Cut-off  near  Columbia,  N.  J.  .  .  .  .  357 

CHAPTER  X.     DIRECTIONS  FOR  MOVING  SHOVEL       .  364 

Economic  Hints     .......  364 

Economic  Hints  to  Superintendents          .  .  .  365 

Advantage  of    Whistle   or  Bell   Signals  Over  Hand 

Signals  .          .          .  .          .          .  370 


374 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE   ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

.  Books  not  returned  on  time  are  subject  to  a  fine  of 
50c  per  volume  after  the  third  day  overdue,  increasing 
to  $1.00  per  volume  after  the  sixth  day.  Books  not  in 
demand  may  be  renewed  if  application  is  made  before 
expiration  of  loan  period. 


DEC  12 1910 


IK- 

LIBRARY  USE 

APR  2  9  1956 


RECEIVE! 

FEB  2 1*67-1 

LOAN 


50rn-7,'16 


VA  06587 


238181 


